Never Gray
by SakuraBubbles the Muffin Child
Summary: xXCh 15 UP The Grand FinaleXx Revolves around the occupants of Shigure's house. When Kyo and Yuki have a serious fight, Tohru suffers the consequences. Then Hatsuharu's thrown into the mix. Yaoi and hetero pairings, YukiHaru, KyoTohru. Rated R for...
1. Onigiri

Hiya! SakuraBubbles here with a brand new Fruits Basket fic! … Okay, so it's the only Fruits Basket fic I have written… but STILL!!  
  
I usually write for Final Fantasy or other video games but I still love anime and manga. OH, and speaking of manga… I haven't read past book 3 of the manga yet, although I know of certain four-legged bitches—I mean horses—who come in later. Until a few nights ago, I didn't know that there was anything between Haru and this wanker. Therefore, SCREW 'ER. She doesn't exist in the anime, therefore she doesn't exist in my happy little world. … stupid friggin…  
  
But! Anyway, before I go on a Rinoa, er, Rin rant, I must say that if you don't like shounen ai… go away. Honestly. Who leaves a review simply to state the "wrongness" of homosexuality??! It's definitely not a good thing to do, _especially_ since I'm a lesbian. So… yeah. No flames just for that.  
  
Also! This has a straight pairing too!! WOOT! … And another also! I won't have any random Japanese words like "hai" and "ohaiyou" because that comes across as poser-ish. They're already speaking Japanese, so why randomly show off what I know? Heh. I have the suffixes because that is how they refer to people in Japan. Booyaka.  
  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own any fruits or any baskets to hold them in. Nor do I own Fruits Basket. That would be swell if I did though. I'd have Yuki and Haru doing naugh—I mean I would…. ah screw it.

* * *

Chapter One: Onigiri

  
  
They knew it would one day come down to this. Even Shigure knew. The only one who didn't know was of course the girl they were fighting over.  
  
Kyo had been angry all day—he fell out of bed instead of regularly waking up thanks to Shigure being loud about who KNOWS what, Tohru had promised to have Kisa and Hiro over to have leeks for dinner, that stupid COW Hatsuharu had accompanied the little brats because he had been babysitting them anyway, Shigure was… still SHIGURE, and Yuki…  
  
"You fucking rat! That's the last time I hear you talkin' like she's your own!" yelled Kyo. Yuki had been outside on his way back from his garden, talking with Haru about Tohru. Kyo had been in his usual perch on the roof when he overheard Yuki talking about Tohru very… fondly, to put it mildly.  
  
"Shut up," said Yuki coolly. Haru put a hand on Yuki's shoulder.  
  
"Yuki, let's ignore him and go inside—"  
  
"Go eat some grass you stupid cow!!" Kyo spat. Haru looked over slowly.  
  
"Say that again?"  
  
"Stop it—I'm not in the mood," snapped Yuki. Haru backed off.  
  
"Whatever. You two take care of this—I'll take Kisa and Hiro home or something."  
  
Off he went inside the house, past Kyo. Kyo and Yuki remained stationary, glaring at each other.  
  
"… You stay away from her," said Kyo angrily. Yuki sighed.  
  
"You yell at me to not speak of Honda-san as property and yet now you're saying this?" Kyo just yelled out obscenities in return, so Yuki continued, "Step aside so I can get into the house."  
  
"Fight your way in," ordered Kyo, getting into a stance. Yuki crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
"I'm not in the mood—"  
  
He was nearly punched in the face—Kyo was fast as he went for him. Yuki put his guard back up where it always was and attacked Kyo.  
  
/-/  
  
Tohru looked toward the outside door, hearing yells and shouts.  
  
"Wh-what's going on?"  
  
"Yuki and Kyo have decided to fight again," answered Haru softly. Kisa was helping to put the dishes away as Hiro watched with his big eyes. Tohru looked to Haru, startled.  
  
"Like a fist fight?"  
  
"I'm sure they're kicking, too."  
  
Shigure rolled his eyes up from reading the newspaper. Before meeting Tohru, this would have been no surprise. However, Yuki and Kyo weren't fighting every day—they got along so much better now, so even he didn't understand.  
  
"But why? They never fight anymore," he said. Haru tilted his head toward Tohru and realization painted itself over Shigure's face. In a jump start, he got up and bolted out of the door. Tohru and Haru followed after ordering Kisa and Hiro to stay inside.  
  
"Oh no!!" yelped Tohru. Kyo's shirt had been ripped and the lose strap had been taken off of the back of his pants. Yuki's shirt was missing some buttons so it now flapped open whenever he moved. His lip was bleeding.  
  
"They… haven't…" was all Shigure managed to say. He looked to Tohru, who was staring at them, wide-eyed, ready to cry. Haru was standing uncomfortably to the side. Kyo spat on the ground, his eyes on Yuki.  
  
"I hate you! You steal everything from me! First the banquet and now—"  
  
"Get over it, stupid cat!!" Yuki interrupted Kyo's ranting with a swift kick to the stomach. Kyo recovered more quickly than usual and went in for a punch or three.  
  
"Stop it!!" yelled Tohru. This was worse than what they had done around the time she had first met them. What had triggered _this?_  
  
Shigure knew both what they were fighting over and that Tohru was oblivious to it. She was far too naïve…  
  
Before either Shigure or Haru could realize it, Tohru rushed forward to try to stop them. Yuki was ready to side tackle Kyo over but in a flurry of brunette hair, he knew his target had changed. He tried to stop but couldn't and afterwards, he tripped over her fallen body and lay at Kyo's feet.  
  
Under different circumstances, Kyo would have loved to see Yuki sprawled in front of him. But his eyes were on Tohru, who was now curling herself into a ball, holding her arm. Yuki got up to his hands and knees and rubbed his head, then looked behind him.  
  
"Honda-san!"  
  
She was crying and he hated the fact that he had caused it. Kyo rushed over—as did Shigure—and knelt beside her shaking body.  
  
"Tohru! Where do you feel the most pain?" asked Shigure, trying to get a look at the girl's face. Her hair had fallen almost tragically in front of her face, much like it had when she had discovered Kyo's true form. Haru helped Yuki up, as he had hurt his ankle from tripping and earlier trying to halt his attack.  
  
"A-arm," Tohru managed to tell him weakly, sobs choking her voice. Shigure looked to Kyo.  
  
"Call Hatori."  
  
Kyo rushed off obediently. After watching him go, Shigure hesitantly put a hand on Tohru's head, trying to calm her. She was obviously crying over more than just a hurt arm.  
  
/-/  
  
Hatori had arrived and immediately taken care of Tohru in her room. Kyo had escaped to the rooftop, Kisa was with Tohru and Hatori, worried to death, Hiro was naturally at Kisa's side, and Haru was attending to Yuki's ankle downstairs.  
  
"I can't believe I did that to her…" Yuki said, his hand tangled in his dark gray hair. Haru's eyes trailed up to Yuki's face as he said, "It's not like you meant to. She tried to stop you two from fighting and did it in the stupidest of ways. Shigure and I didn't even see her run to you."  
  
Yuki opened his eyes and looked down to Haru, who was just finishing up wrapping up Yuki's ankle.  
  
"But I saw her before I knocked her down. I saw that she was there… but I couldn't stop moving…"  
  
Haru stood up and framed Yuki's face with his hands. In Yuki's current state of mind, he didn't care.  
  
"I'm sure she's not angry with you. Tohru-san is more forgiving than that. She'll understand."  
  
"… Did she know why we were fighting?"  
  
Haru slowly shook his head. Yuki moved his hands up to Haru's and removed them from his face then let them go. Haru dropped them at his sides and turned.  
  
"You have to let her decide who she wants."  
  
He headed toward the stairs in hopes of seeing Tohru but just then, Kyo came in, a murderous glint in his eye. Haru rushed back to Yuki and plopped down next to him, ready to protect him if need be.  
  
"You… stupid… rat…" he said sourly. "See what you've done?!"  
  
"What I've done?! **You** were the one who started the fight!!"  
  
"**You** pushed her down!"  
  
"It was an accident!"  
  
"You idiot! What if you had seriously hurt her?!"  
  
"Keep it **down**," Haru snapped, teetering from White to Black to White, back and forth like someone balancing on a fence. "Tohru is probably trying to get some rest and it doesn't help if you two are squabbling."  
  
Kyo hushed and Yuki looked away. Haru knew that the tension that the two had between each other used to be really bad, but thanks to, he assumed Tohru, the tension had thinned. But now it had filled the room up so bad Haru swore that everything looked blurry. Hatori came downstairs after a bit and looked to the others with his visible eye.  
  
"She has a broken arm and a few cuts on her leg. It seems like when she fell, she landed right on the elbow and completely snapped the ulna in half."  
  
Yuki winced. _I did that to her…_  
  
"I'll be coming by again tomorrow and then weekly thereafter. She mustn't do anything with that arm—so no cleaning, cooking, or writing if she's right handed."  
  
"She is," Kyo stated. Yuki sighed.  
  
"No cleaning? Shigure must be depressed."  
  
As if on cue, Shigure appeared behind Hatori.  
  
"I sort of am, but it's okay. Poor Tohru-kun…"  
  
"Why don't I cook and clean for you?" offered Haru. Kyo stared.  
  
"No! Get the hell out of this house!"  
  
Shigure, on the other hand, was looking at Haru in an all new light.  
  
"You would… do that for us?"  
  
"Yeah—I always clean back at the Main House. And this is all I can do for her, so I may as well do it. She probably hates the idea of being stuck in bed."  
  
"Well, you can do whatever starting tomorrow. Tonight, we're returning to the Main House so you can at least pack up your things and drop Kisa and Hiro off like you were supposed to thirty minutes ago," Hatori sighed, turning away. Haru looked up to the clock on the wall and made a small yelp.  
  
"WHOA! When did… holy crap!"  
  
He got up and rushed into the other room. Yuki sighed and counted down from three on his fingers; once all the fingers were down, Haru appeared back in the room to give Yuki a kiss on the cheek and then again rushed off. Kyo slapped his forehead and Yuki gazed out the window.  
  
/-/  
  
That look in Kyo's eyes…  
  
Yuki had a similar look, but Kyo looked as though he was hurt more than anything, like he absolutely _had_ to win that fight this evening. Tohru supposed that she was somewhat happy that they stopped fighting, but it wasn't like the way she had wanted them to stop. Also… if she couldn't use her right arm, how could she write essays for school or clean up the house? She felt like crying again, but her throat hurt too much to do so.  
  
_Mother… I can't write anything right now… what am I supposed to do about school?_  
  
She was so worried that she would let her mother down if she couldn't do her schoolwork. She was so worried that she would let her mother down if she couldn't do her schoolwork. … Well! She wasn't about to let that get in her way. She would teach herself to write with her left hand if she must! Or she'd get one of her friends to help her! Yeah, that was it! Maybe Yuki would—  
  
Her thoughts hushed out instantly as she thought of Yuki. He couldn't have possibly done that on purpose. It had been somewhat stupid of her to try to stop them like she had, but she had done it anyway, thinking of nothing better to do. Again, she was grateful that they had stopped or else instead of her broken arm, it would have been one of _their_ broken faces. She sighed, wishing that she knew what had started the brutal fight.

* * *

Well! How was that? No shounen ai yet, sorry. Yuki and Kyo are so angsty. Poor Tohru, having the love of those two boys. And poor Yuki, having the love of Haru. ::winks:: Well, the next fun fun chapter should be coming soon, depending on if I have enough reviews. SO if you like it, REVIEW IT!! ::bows and runs away:: 


	2. Nezumi

Hiya! SakuraBubbles here. ::bows:: Thank you all very much for the reviews!! They are, as always, very much appreciated. If all goes well, I should be able to update this once every week or so. If I start getting spacey with my updates, it's 'cause I haven't gotten the next couple of chapters done!! Hehehe… but I believe I'm up to ch. 10 or 11 already… HEHEHE… so, we should be good for a while.  
  
Minor **shounen ai** references and scenes in this chapter. If you're only here for the Kyo/Tohru aspect of it, please, don't be rude enough to flame me for it (as I bitched about last time). You must have an open mind. And JEEZ this is Fruits Basket, you seriously NEED an open mind for this anime! ::slaps… people::  
  
By the way, the chapter titles don't have a whole lot to do with the chapter itself. I'm just going with the Japanese names of the zodiac animals until I can think of proper chapter names.

* * *

Chapter Two: Nezumi

  
  
Tohru was ever so polite as usual when Haru entered the house with a soft smile on his face, his bags either at his feet or around his shoulder.  
  
"Welcome to the house," she greeted him, bowing. He bowed in return, "Sorry to intrude…"  
  
"Tohru-san, what are you doing out of bed?" asked a deep voice behind Haru. Haru fluttered to the side to reveal Hatori.  
  
"Hatori-san!" Tohru bowed again. "I didn't want you to think me as rude!"  
  
"Idiot!" Kyo snapped, appearing at her side. He glared to Haru. "Gimme your crap."  
  
Hatori whacked Kyo on the noggin and said, "Don't get Hatsuharu angry. We don't need him going black while Tohru is trying to recover."  
  
Kyo rubbed his head and plucked Haru's things from the ground and heaved them inside. Haru was staying for Tohru's two month recovery and thanks to the lack of rooms, he was sleeping on the couch. He didn't really mind, but he brought along all of his pillows, including a little rat stuffed animal that he slept with every night. He kept it well hid in one of his pillows' cases, of course, naming it "Yuki-chan."  
  
Speaking of Yuki, the boy was outside, tending to his secret base as usual. He was anxiously awaiting the strawberries to become ripe so he could pick them and give them to Tohru as a "get well" gift. But as he tugged lightly on one or two, he saw that they just weren't red enough yet, sighed, and stood up. _Maybe I should just buy some and _say_ that they're from the garden…_  
  
He shook his head, having a feeling that Tohru would somehow figure it out. He headed back toward the house, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he contemplated what to do. He had two months for them to ripen, but he want to give Tohru a present _now_… he'd do anything to hear her say, "Souma-kun, I'm okay!"  
  
/-/  
  
Kyo was even more on-edge around Yuki ever since the fight. Shigure had hoped that they could have gotten over it after their fight, but apparently not. Kyo was even more mad at Yuki for hurting Tohru even though it was an accident. They had a little spat every time they saw each other up until Haru started yelling, which made them realize how they probably sounded, so they stopped.  
  
Hatori and Shigure found it odd that the very same person who ended the fighting so well had also brought forth an even more serious fight, one that didn't date back to thousands of years ago. Tohru stayed away from the both of them most of the time except during dinner, where she only spoke to Haru and Shigure. However, if Kyo or Yuki started a conversation with her during dinner, she didn't have the heart to ignore them.  
  
One night, six days after the fight, Haru was cleaning the dishes and Kyo came down for a midnight glass of milk. Haru held out a bowl.  
  
"Here, kitty…"  
  
"Shut up! Give me a cup!"  
  
Haru grabbed a cup out of the cupboard and handed it to the enraged red-head. He sat and poured the liquid into the glass. For a minute, Kyo sipped from his glass and Haru silently continued drying and washing the dishes. Suddenly, Kyo asked, "You like Yuki, right?"  
  
"That I do!" Haru almost purred. Kyo shook slightly with disgust.  
  
"Ick… whatever. Listen, I'm going to take Tohru out of the house tomorrow. I need you to cover for me. Keep Yuki busy long enough for me to take her out."  
  
Haru blinked, looking at Kyo with a blank expression.  
  
"'Take her out?' What do you mean?"  
  
Kyo didn't answer but hid his eyes with his bangs and sipped his milk with a red face. Haru grinned and sat down with his chest toward the backrest of the chair.  
  
"Ahhhh like on a date!"  
  
"SHHHH!" Kyo snapped, glaring at the ox boy. Haru scratched his ear.  
  
"All right. That sounds good to me. Gives me time alone with Yuki."  
  
"I figured you'd go for that," Kyo said sourly. Haru smiled.  
  
"Actually, if you think about it, I'd like to see you with Tohru. That leaves Yuki all to me."  
  
Kyo nodded, sipped his milk again, and thought about it more.  
  
"I mean, I wouldn't be mad if Tohru herself picked Yuki instead of you," Haru continued. "I'd give Yuki up just to see him happy."  
  
"You sound like Kagura… only you're not psycho. … Wait, yes you are… screw it, you're not **as** psycho," Kyo stammered. Grinning, Haru replied, "I'm less psycho than Kagura?"  
  
"To me, yeah. You don't abuse to show your 'love,'" Kyo stated, a dark aura under his eyes. "… Well, you show it in a different way when you're Black Haru…"  
  
Thinking about it, Haru chuckled mischievously. The cat-boy was getting creeped out, so he whacked his younger cousin (though none of them were direct cousins anyway, but it was simply easier to tell people that they were cousins rather than "the nephew of my father's cousin's sister-in-law…") on the head and bade him good night.  
  
/-/  
  
In the morning, Tohru was greeted by Kyo's face.  
  
"W-waaaaah! Ky—Kyo-kun!" she yelped, squirming up into a sitting position. Kyo was always a morning person while Yuki was not. He had this advantage, at least.  
  
"G-good morning, Kyo-kun…" Tohru said, smiling slightly.  
  
"Wanna go out today?" he cut straight to the point only because if he hadn't, he would have lost his nerve.  
  
"Go out? Where?"  
  
"A-anywhere you want," Kyo offered. He hadn't even thought of what to do or where to take her; he only focused on _being_ with her.  
  
"Me? Well, that wouldn't be fair to you and Souma-kun if I picked—"  
  
"No," Kyo interrupted almost harshly. "Yuki isn't coming with us."  
  
"Oh, he isn't?" Tohru wondered. "Is Kagura-san coming?"  
  
"No! Hell no! It's just you and me!"  
  
It took a moment for this to register with Tohru. She pointed to him then to herself. He did the same in return. Tohru aimlessly kept wiggling her finger back and forth between her and Kyo, thinking desperately about the matter.  
  
_Aaah! Kyo-kun is asking me out on a date? I never thought… he'd… oh wow! A date with Kyo-kun! It could be fun! Oh wow!_  
  
"Got anything in mind for where you wanna go?" Kyo reiterated.  
  
"W-well, we could… ah… go to… the… grocery store!" she stammered, and once she finished her sentence she had that determined but stupid look on her face. Kyo looked at her blankly.  
  
"The grocery store?"  
  
Tohru face faltered.  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
Kyo chuckled, reminded of their game of ping-pong back at the hot springs, and smiled his awkward smile. "Why don't we do that before coming home and do something else beforehand?"  
  
"Then… where do **you** want to go, Kyo-kun?"  
  
"Maybe for… a walk somewhere and then lunch?"  
  
Tohru nodded gleefully. "That sounds like fun!"  
  
"All right. Meet me downstairs in twenty minutes," he ordered lightly, standing up (he had been leaning on the bed) and heading toward the door. He looked back as he slid the door to the side. Tohru was staring at him with an empty but thoughtful expression on her face. Figuring that she was once again spacing out, Kyo left the room.  
  
/-/  
  
Yuki, on the other hand, was greeted with a Tohru-less house, with Shigure visiting Hatori, Kyo _somewhere_, and Haru… on the couch, reading something. He was tapping his foot as if keeping in time with a song and it was then that Yuki noticed that he had headphones on. _So that's what that buzzing was…_  
  
Yuki slinked into the kitchen, looking around for Tohru. Perhaps she was outside? Yuki opened the fridge, trying to not think of it. The milk was gone.  
  
"Stupid cat probably drank all of the milk…" he grimaced, rummaging through the rest of the fridge's contents. He plucked some unidentified red juice and studied the bottle, wondering what it was, what was the expiration date, and if it was even drinkable. He decided against taste-testing it for sourness and decided to pour the liquid out. It was a lucky thing that he hadn't tasted the liquid for as he poured it out, some of it poured out it clumps. He hollered in disgust and then lost his grip on the bottle, dropping it.  
  
Haru was nodding his head to his loud music when he heard an even louder noise. He tugged his headphones off and blinked, waiting for another sound to occur. Nothing did. He paused his CD and got up, placing the book down on the table.  
  
He froze before entering the kitchen. Yuki was on the floor of the kitchen, a broken bottle next to him on the floor, and a _lot_ of red liquid. Obviously, the first thing that came to Haru's mind was…  
  
"YUKI!!!" he yelled, running forward. Yuki looked up at him with a cross look upon his face.  
  
"What?"  
  
"YOU… you're not dead?!" Haru asked, dumfounded. Yuki sighed.  
  
"No, of course not. I dropped the bottle that contained this… stuff and when it spilled, I tried to move out of the way, but I slipped on the liquid."  
  
Haru glared at said liquid and bottle as if they were murderers. He looked back to Yuki and reached out for him.  
  
"Need help getting up?"  
  
"Not really," said Yuki, lifting himself up. Almost as soon as he was halfway standing, he slipped again. Haru caught him in his arms.  
  
"Hah! I knew you would fall for me!" Haru grinned. Yuki smirked, slightly amused and blushing a tad.  
  
"Cut it out."  
  
Haru lifted him away from the mess and set him down so he could sit down at the table. He looked to the mess and chuckled.  
  
"You can be a klutz when you let your guard down."  
  
Yuki looked away with a pout on his face. He felt gross; that stuff had gotten on his clothes. Haru was cleaning up the liquid and the glass, careful not to slip in it. Yuki noticed this.  
  
"Ah, you don't have to—"  
  
"It's my job, the reason I'm here, to clean, right?" Haru asked in return.  
  
"But I made the mess."  
  
"And I'm cleaning it up for you. Maybe you can just give me something in return," Haru suggested, tossing the glass into the trash bin. Yuki sighed, wiping some of the liquid out of his hair.  
  
"You can wash me," he said sarcastically.  
  
Now, if there was a time for Haru to turn black, this wasn't it. Sometimes, all it took to change him were his feelings for Yuki. He turned and scooped him up in his arms, leading him through the hallway to the bathroom.  
  
"What—Haru, I was joking!!"  
  
"I didn't think that you were," Haru replied, his eyes glimmering. Yuki realized that he had gone black.  
  
"Haru! Put me down!! There's no way I'd ever let you—"  
  
"Oh come on! You just said I could!" Haru grinned, placing Yuki down at the bath's edge. Yuki glared.  
  
"Don't you **dare**…"  
  
"Dare what?"  
  
"I don't want to have to hurt you, Haru. Just get out."  
  
He wasn't about to be weak. Aside from maybe the elder Soumas, he was the best fighter, and wasn't afraid to let loose on someone if they pissed him off enough, like, for example, Kyo.  
  
"But what would be the fun in that?" asked Haru, reaching for Yuki's shirt. Yuki grabbed his arm, threatening, "If you do this, I'll call Hatori and tell him to bring you back."  
  
"Who'd do the cleaning?" asked Haru coolly. Yuki's eyes flashed.  
  
"I would. For Honda-san."  
  
It wasn't the threat that stopped Haru, it was the fact that Yuki was willing to do things for Tohru. He backed away.  
  
"To…" was all he managed before hitting the door from backing up. Yuki was glaring at him differently than if Haru was just teasing. Haru exited the room, but could still feel Yuki's glare on his back.

* * *

Uh-oh spaghettios!! Haru's in big trouble now. Him and his horny self. Oh well. More on Kyo and Tohru's date next chapter. I love ch. 3! It's adorable. If you want it, you must EARN it, biznatches! ::cackles:: … Yes, well, please review. Ch. 3 will be next week if I feel satisfied… ::bows and runs away:: 


	3. Neko

Hiya, SakuraBubbles here. Thank you muchly for the reviews. Muchly isn't a word. I don't care.  
  
((There used to be a rant here, but I have since deleted it. ::cackles:: ))  
  
Fluffy Haru/Yuki scenes AND fluffy Kyo/Tohru scenes. YAY!

* * *

Chapter Three: Neko

  
  
Tohru giggled as Kyo tried to swat at the cats following them through their walk in the park.  
  
"Leave us alone!!"  
  
They continued meowing and purring after Kyo and his laughing companion so eventually, Kyo just gave up. He was sick of the odd stares from everybody, but Tohru's laughter calmed him. So far, it had been nice. It was hot but there was a pleasant breeze that lightly tossed Tohru's long locks out of place. Everything was so perfect—Kyo desperately hoped that nothing would ruin it.  
  
"Have you thought of a place where you want to eat?" Kyo asked. Tohru smiled to him, beaming.  
  
"Perhaps we should look for a place that allows pets?"  
  
"That's not funny!" Kyo hissed, but found himself laughing. "Seriously, though. Where do you want to eat?"  
  
"Wherever you want to, Kyo-kun," Tohru answered. He knew she would say that. His eyes roamed around, searching for a place they could eat. He looked over to one place that had tables and chairs set out under a green awning. Smiling, he gripped her hand.  
  
"There's a nice looking place," he pointed with the very same hand that he had intertwined with Tohru's. She followed his finger.  
  
"Ah! Could we eat outside?"  
  
"That's what I had in mind," Kyo told her. She smiled and they walked over, hand in hand. Kyo looked over to a convenient store and he swore that he saw Haru exit, a carton of milk in his arm. Kyo blinked and looked again, but the person was no where in sight. He figured that might have just been some old man still earning grays.  
  
As he and Tohru entered the restaurant, they were greeted with a fat little man.  
  
"Welcome, welcome, and congratulations!" he greeted with a small bow. Tohru returned the bow, a bewildered expression on her face.  
  
"Congratulations?" she inquired.  
  
"That's right!" the man exclaimed cheerfully. "Today, in this restaurant only, we're having our Couple's Day Sale! Everything on the menu is thirty-five percent off! But, it's for couples only."  
  
"Th-thirty-five?" repeated Kyo, matching Tohru's face with one of his own.  
  
"You got it!" said the man, his eyes twinkling. "You two make a very nice couple. So, will you be dining inside or out?"  
  
"Outside, please," Kyo answered. Tohru smiled at him, staring admiringly. Kyo really was a good person. He acted like such a gentleman in front of her—it was nice. He hadn't even denied the fact that they were a couple even if they weren't officially one yet. Kyo, although sometimes harsh, was always very sweet to her and did things for her without her knowing it. For now, Tohru didn't know that he had her on his mind all of the time (when it wasn't occupied by how to beat Yuki), but he vowed to himself that he would tell her one day.  
  
And that day may come sooner than he thought.  
  
Tohru and Kyo sat down, the wind almost lifting napkins right off of the table. Tohru giggled at this as she saved them from their dirty demise, thanked the fat man, and began to study the menu.  
  
/-/  
  
Yuki was cautious as he exited the bathroom, looking around for a certain two-toned hair colored young man. He saw no one and stepped into the hall, clad in fresh clean clothes.  
  
"Haru?" Yuki called as he was greeted with an empty living room. He padded over to the couch and saw Haru's CD player. The song he was listening to was on pause, and as such, the CD player was lightly beeping.  
  
"Haaaru…" he called again. After getting no answer, he shrugged and shut off the player. He walked into the kitchen and found that it, too, was empty. Eyebrows furrowing in thought, Yuki wondered where that stupid cat and Tohru were. Maybe Tohru was off with of her friends from school—but she always told them about that sort of thing before doing it to okay it with Shigure.  
  
Aimlessly, Yuki opened the door of the refrigerator. He remembered that there wasn't anything drinkable inside of it and began to shut it when he froze and stretched the door back open. There was a brand new carton of milk sitting right smack in the middle of the shelf.  
  
_Huh? There wasn't any before…_  
  
And then Yuki thought about it more. Haru must have gone out to get it in order to apologize. It didn't excuse his behavior, not nothing actually did once he went black. Looking around for the milk buyer, Yuki finally slid the door open to the outside. He saw Haru lying on the grass, his knee bent up and his other leg draped over it lazily. Yuki smiled, walked over, and knelt down behind Haru's head. He leaned over and hung his head over Haru's face, his hair dangling down.  
  
"Hello," greeted Haru to the beautiful face above his own. Yuki was still smiling as he asked, "You bought some milk?"  
  
"It's the least I could do to prevent you from having to bathe again."  
  
Yuki chuckled. Haru used to always make him laugh at the Main House. Yuki noticed suddenly that Haru seemed to be looking past him although he was the only thing he could see. It was a strange feeling that enveloped him as he noticed it, so he tried to ignore it.  
  
"I'm sorry I attacked you like that," Haru told him softly.  
  
"It's fine now. You weren't really yourself," Yuki replied. He then looked forward and up, exposing his neck to the one below him. "What were you doing out here anyway?"  
  
"Watching the clouds."  
  
Yuki tilted his head up and realized that he was probably interrupting Haru's solitude so he sat up.  
  
"You don't want to stay?" Haru asked as he heard Yuki start to get up.  
  
"Wouldn't I be disturbing you?"  
  
"You couldn't do **anything** to disturb me…"  
  
Yuki translated Haru's reply to "Lie down next to me and watch the clouds, too," and did just that. Together, they watched the clouds pass by.  
  
"That one there looks like Kyo," Haru pointed past Yuki's head. Yuki sniffed a bit at Haru's scent instinctively as a rat and noticed that he smelled a bit like hay and frankincense. It was an odd but satisfying smell. At last, Yuki looked in the direction in which Haru was pointing toward and started to laugh. It really did look like Kyo. The cloud was lumped together to make the head and body of what could be a cat with its tail erect in anger. They laughed at this, figuring that somewhere there was a Kagura cloud chasing him. Yuki looked over to a different cloud that was stationed above his head.  
  
"That one reminds me of Momiji," said Yuki, pointing. He was right—the cloud itself was a large, circular clump with long ear-like strands protruding from it. After a bit, they could find no more shapes but stayed outside anyway, talking and enjoying one another's company. The sun was pleasantly hot on their faces and they loved it. Finally, Yuki pointed over Haru's head.  
  
"That one—what does it look like to you?"  
  
Haru trailed his eyes from Yuki's arm to where his slender finger was pointing and saw a large blob of a cloud next to a smaller one. The smaller cloud was curved like a rat standing on its hind legs while the other cloud seemed to resemble a small calf sniffing the ground. Even though the "calf" had only two "legs," Haru chuckled, seeing the resemblance.  
  
"It looks like you and me," he said. Yuki nodded and dropped his arm. It was draped across Haru's chest, which made the ox very nervous and excited at the same. Yuki was just too tired to move it. The heat was making them both tired, as Haru proved with a yawn. Yuki looked to him. _This… isn't so bad…_ And like that, they fell asleep.  
  
They only awoke thanks to Shigure's loud laughter. Haru noticed that Yuki's arm was still around him and Haru's own hand was laying over Yuki's. Yuki twitched and sat up, glaring at Shigure, who was hunched over, clutching his sides with laughter. Haru matched Yuki's glare with one of his own, giving it to Shigure, and then faltered as he noticed Hatori standing beside Shigure, his lips twitching as a mockery of a smile.  
  
"I'm… haha… I'm sorry… did I interrupt anything? Hahahaha!" Shigure laughed out loud. He ducked as a rock flew by his head. "Thanks, Yu-chan, we needed stones for the—"  
  
This stone (which happened to be much larger) whacked him straight in the gut, knocking him over. Haru had thrown it.  
  
"All right, that's enough, I'm heading home," said Hatori. As he turned, he added, "Yuki, Hatsuharu is a good choice. He will always stick by you in all of your times of need. Plus, he seems to be excitable—"  
  
Yuki jumped up and chased Hatori, who was quicker on his feet than one would think. Haru sighed and pushed himself up. By that time, Shigure was done with wiping his tears of laughter out of his eyes and was looking up at Haru with a "love meeeee" face. Haru rolled his eyes and continued inside.  
  
/-/  
  
Although Kyo had a difficult time carrying all of the groceries, he didn't mind doing it. Tohru lent the hand that she could, for her other was in a loose sling around her shoulder. She made a happy sound as she saw the house below them.  
  
"Oh good—we're home!"  
  
Kyo witnessed Haru suddenly chase Shigure out of the door, yelling something. Kyo ignored them and looked to Tohru.  
  
"Can you promise me something?"  
  
She returned his gaze. "Eh?"  
  
"Tell the others—especially that damn rat—that we met up in the grocery store. We can't have them finding out about anything before that, okay?"  
  
Her lip trembled slightly in confusion.  
  
"Ehh? Why?"  
  
"Because…" _Shit, now to think up a reason._ "Because they would tell Kagura or Akito—both are equally bad—and they would… uh… well, it'd be **bad**."  
  
Tohru didn't like it, but agreed.  
  
"Come over here and fight me, dog breath!" they heard Haru threaten as they were closer to the house. He had obviously gone black. Shigure's chortle echoed.  
  
"I think not!"  
  
"You sure you're the year of the dog and not of the chicken?"  
  
Hatori, having finally escaped from Yuki, decided to intervene. He grabbed Haru's arms and thrust him down on the ground, pinning his arms up against his back.  
  
"You bastard! Let me go!!" Haru shouted. Hatori didn't move.  
  
"Not until you calm down."  
  
"Nyaaargh……"  
  
Tohru and Kyo arrived the moment Yuki stepped outside, eyes narrowed at Hatori.  
  
"Hatori… I'll—eh, Honda-san??" he saw Tohru next to Kyo and grew significantly angrier. "Stupid cat… what are you doing?"  
  
"Shut up, rat! Can't you see that I'm helping with the groceries?! It's more than I can say about you!!" Yuki didn't hesitate in running over and grabbing what Tohru held in her left hand.  
  
"Honda-san, why didn't you tell us that you were going out for groceries? No wonder it took you all day…"  
  
"A-ah, no, I wasn't at the grocery store all day… I was with Hana-chan at her house until I went to the grocery store. I met up with Kyo-kun there. I must've forgotten to tell you that I was going over there today…" Tohru lied. She didn't like lying to Yuki, but Kyo said…  
  
"Ah, Tohru-kun, it's okay!" said Shigure, stepping over to Kyo and snatching some of the groceries to help bring them in. Kyo mentally thanked them and looked down to Haru, who was now calm and white.  
  
"Hey, stupid," he said to him. Haru looked up to him blankly.  
  
"Don't call me that…"  
  
"Yes, don't, we don't need him going black again," warned Hatori, letting go of said ox. Haru pushed himself up and brushed off the visible dirt off of the front of his black shirt.  
  
"… My head hurts…" he spoke after tucking his thumbs under his belt. Yuki looked to him before entering the house. Hatori eyed Shigure.  
  
"I'm heading home. Be good—all of you."  
  
But before he got into the car, he inspected Tohru's arm.  
  
"Good, you've been taking good care of yourself. A little more than a month and a half left."  
  
Tohru thanked him and went inside.  
  
/-/  
  
An hour after Tohru got back, it started to rain. Kyo was hiding up in his room, Haru was out on the porch, reading and listening to his CD player, and Shigure was with his editor, writing. Tohru was on her way to the bath when she met Yuki in the hallway. She couldn't exactly avoid him in the narrow hallway so she looked up to his face.  
  
"Souma-kun, I'm about to bathe, is that okay?"  
  
"Of course it is," Yuki said softly. He held something up. "Honda-san… I've been waiting to give you this…" She looked at the item. It was a small container.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
He opened it and she gazed at what was inside. She smiled and her eyes brightened.  
  
"Strawberries!"  
  
"I was waiting for them to ripen. They finally did today. I'm glad I checked—I almost got caught in this sudden rain," Yuki told her. She giggled.  
  
"They look tasty…"  
  
"I'm sure they will be. They are for you, after all."  
  
Tohru blushed and said nothing. Yuki nodded and closed up the container.  
  
"I'll put these in the fridge so you can have a nice bath," he offered, moving out of her way. She put her hand to his shoulder and he turned back around.  
  
"Th… Thank you, Souma-kun."  
  
He knew that she was thanking him for more than just putting away the strawberries, but he simply smiled and walked away.

* * *

Well! I am pleased, I suppose. I love this chapter because of when Yuki falls asleep with his arm around Haru. YAY. Next chapter in a week. It's FUN. Almost as fun as… FUN. I think.  
  
Thanks, everyone. :D See you next chapter. ::bows and runs away:: 


	4. Inu

Hiya, SakuraBubbles here with the ever eventful chapter four. I've deciiiided… to spppeeeeeeeeeellllllllllll… Honda's name… as… Tojhdgkjfdagru. Haha, kidding. I'll spell it Tohru from here on. I think I'll keep Souma as 'Souma' because I… said so. :D I'll be going back and redoing Tohru's name, okay? ... By the time you read this, it'll already be done. SHHHHHH...  
  
Oh yeah, haven't done a **disclaimer** in a while but it's still the same as chapter one. I may own a basket of rocks that I've named after the characters (yes, I'm crazy), but I don't OWN the actual characters. Silly you, for thinking that.  
  
Boys kissing in this chapter. Don't like, don't care, it's there. "It's here and it's queer!!" XD

* * *

Chapter Four: Inu

  
  
Things were pretty silent the next day until the afternoon. For the majority of the day, thanks to the "incident" outside, Haru wisely stayed away from Yuki around Shigure, for the dog would grin and chuckle continuously until one of them left the room. Yuki hadn't told Kyo or Tohru what had happened outside, and he was grateful to both Shigure and Haru for doing the same. Yuki was suspicious, however, of Kyo. It was just odd that he just _happened_ to meet Tohru inside of the grocery store. He _never_ went grocery shopping unless ordered to accompany Tohru by Shigure.  
  
He had been giving Kyo glares all day long, and frankly, Kyo was getting annoyed.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?" he finally asked of the rat boy. Yuki grabbed him by the shirt collar.  
  
"You did something with Honda-san behind my back yesterday, didn't you?"  
  
"Feh, so what if I did?" Kyo replied cockily.  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"Does it really concern you?"  
  
Yuki threw him across the room and like his feline counterpart, Kyo landed on his feet, ready to fight back. Haru, on the other hand, had to jump out of the way, skidding across the floor.  
  
"JEEZ! Can't you two take it outside??"  
  
"Shut up, Haru," snapped Yuki, though he instantly regretted it. Haru looked at him with a hurt expression on his face, then left the room with a few words, "Make sure I still have a couch to sleep on tonight…"  
  
"Did you make Honda-san lie to cover **you**?" Yuki wanted to know. Kyo didn't deny it, but he said nothing to prove it. Yuki rushed at him. "You piece of filth!"  
  
"You're worse than a piece of filth! At least I know enough not to hurt her!" yelled Kyo, blocking Yuki's advance and countering with one of his own.  
  
"The very first time you met her you knocked her with a table!"  
  
Kyo just hollered in response and continued attacking.  
  
And well… by the end of the fight… Haru no longer had a couch to sleep on.  
  
/-/  
  
"I can't believe you two; this is the worst yet!" Shigure scolded them. Tohru was trying to calm Haru down over the loss of his precious couch, or more so to prevent him from going black.  
  
"This isn't just something we can repair," said Shigure. "We're going to have to get a new couch."  
  
"That's no trouble. Can't the main house supply us with one?" asked Yuki. Shigure sighed.  
  
"It's a matter of explaining. This is a **couch**."  
  
Kyo stayed silent during most of the discussion, holding an ice pack to the side of his head.  
  
"I'll put a call into the Main House tomorrow," said Shigure. He looked to Haru. "As for you… why don't you stay with Yuki or something?"  
  
He started to laugh, but Yuki, unsuspectingly didn't say any sort of retort to the dog. Haru glared in Shigure's direction to try to overpower the blush he gained from the thought of sharing a bed with Yuki.  
  
"You do owe him, stupid rat," snapped Kyo. "**You** broke the couch."  
  
"No, you did."  
  
"Only 'cause **you** threw me!!"  
  
"**Enough**," Haru warned, his eyebrow twitching. "I'll sleep on the floor down here."  
  
"No, no, it's fine. You can sleep in my bed and I'll sleep on the floor," Yuki offered. Haru shook his head.  
  
"You'll get the bed, I'll get the floor. Sometimes, I find that beds are too soft for me. I'm a **cow**, remember?"  
  
"That's something to keep in mind later on," Shigure said, covering his mouth with his hand. Yuki stood up and yelled at him while Haru threw whatever he could get his hands on, which happened to be a folded up towel. Shigure caught it and then yawned, covering his mouth with the object he caught.  
  
"Well, I'm insanely tired. I don't care where you sleep, Haru. If anything, kick Kyo out of his bed and have him sleep on the roof."  
  
"Not before we build a dog house for you!" Kyo spat.  
  
/-/  
  
Yuki tossed his covers to the edge of his bed and crawled into it, looking down to Haru. "Are you **sure** you're okay down there?"  
  
"I'm fine," Haru answered with a calm smile. His "Yuki-chan" was placed secretly in his pillow as usual—that's all he needed. And jeez, the real Yuki was in the bed above him.  
  
"Your back won't hurt if you stay down there?" asked Yuki. It was sort of strange—Yuki felt like he _wanted_ Haru to come into bed with him… like some odd desire to get harassed in his sleep or something. He shivered and pushed the thought out of his head, tangling himself in his covers. How could he be so stupid? He's not interested in Haru—or any boy—at all. Still… his skin started prickling and he yelled at himself mentally.  
  
"Well, if my back hurts in the morning, **you** can give me a massage," said Haru. Yuki blushed.  
  
"I… don't think I can."  
  
"I won't seduce you."  
  
"Stop talking like that."  
  
Haru apologized and turned over, leaving Yuki to stare at his back. The crickets outside were hushed so the both of them could hear the other breathing. It was very awkward for Yuki, who kept having those thoughts in his head, and very difficult for Haru, too, because he was so in love with him.  
  
"Um…" Yuki breathed. "I can't sleep at all…"  
  
"Yeah, it's sorta stuffy in here… maybe if I…" Haru replied, tossing his only blanket off.  
  
"You're hot?" asked Yuki. Haru grinned.  
  
"I'd like to believe so…"  
  
"… As in temperature."  
  
"I know, I was teasing. I'm sort of hot. It's colder downstairs."  
  
"I'm always cold," Yuki replied almost bitterly. Haru gazed up to him and Yuki anticipated what he was going to say.  
  
"I could always keep you warm…"  
  
"I knew you were going to say that…"  
  
Haru chuckled and turned over, facing him.  
  
"Well? Do you want me to?"  
  
"H-Haru, shut up."  
  
Haru laughed quietly and stretched, leaving Yuki to think about it more.  
  
"I wouldn't do anything—"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
The words slipped from his mouth, but he didn't necessarily regret it. Haru thought he was joking and continued laughing. Yuki smiled slightly and turned onto his back, staring up to the ceiling.  
  
"Yuki, how do you feel about Tohru?" Haru asked, though he already knew. Yuki swallowed.  
  
"I… I want to look at her all the time… and I want to run my hand through her hair then kiss her on the forehead. I want… to be with her all the time. Most of all, I want to hold her, but I can't thanks to the curse…" he answered. He found it odd that he was hesitant to tell Haru all of this, but Haru simply nodded.  
  
"I see…"  
  
Yuki said nothing in response. Haru sighed.  
  
"It's the same with me to you…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"… I love you, Yuki," Haru informed him, as he did often. Yuki sighed and turned—wow, how did Haru appear right beside him like that?  
  
"Haru, no you don't," he said. "I'm a boy. You're a boy. Do the math."  
  
"**That's** the problem?" Haru asked. "Gender shouldn't matter. I fell in love with you, Yuki, the person. You just happen to be a male."  
  
"I 'just happen to be?' How does that not bother you?"  
  
"Why should it? I would do anything for you…" He hesitated as it ripped through his heart. "… Just like you would do anything for Tohru…"  
  
Yuki stared at him, mouth slightly gaped.  
  
"… You really love me?"  
  
"Yes I do," Haru answered, his voice serious. "If you were a girl, a boy, part of the Souma family or not… I really do."  
  
"But why? I'm mean… I'm bitter… I use people… I'm the rat. And I **hate** it. I hate being the rat," Yuki confessed, surprising himself. He hadn't told anyone this, not even Tohru. "It's a horrible thing to be. Just by being me, I've gained so many enemies for no reason other than 'you're the rat, Yuki, I hate you.' I'm so sick of this. Even you hated me at one point, Haru." Yuki's eyes trailed away from Haru's face, as he found he could no longer look at him. "That's why it's so hard to believe that you could love me. Back then, the rat used the ox. Who's to say that I won't do the same to you?"  
  
Haru was silent for a moment before running his hand through Yuki's hair, mimicking what the boy said he would do to the one he loves. Haru pressed his lips to Yuki's forehead and the older boy found that the action warmed him—Haru had never been so bold. Haru looked at Yuki, his gray eyes smiling just as his mouth was.  
  
"Yuki, you are you. You are different from the rat. Do you think that anyone else with the rat's curse could **ever** live under the same roof as the one with the cat's curse? Let alone in the same **room** with him without starting a fight? I've seen you two—that and Tohru has told me—get along so well. You've even worked together for the same goal. And it's because you're not **just** the rat. You are Yuki. You are the one who tends to a vegetable garden everyday. You are the one who will play Rich Man, Poor Man with a bunch of people and learn to have fun with it."  
  
"I'm also the one who destroyed the couch downstairs," Yuki added. Haru chuckled.  
  
"Well, minor details aside, you're still separate from the tricky rat from the stories. You are Yuki."  
  
Neither of them expected the following to happen. Haru had always hoped it would and Yuki never thought he'd give Haru more than a hug or two. However, _it_ actually happened. Perhaps he had meant to thank him for cheering him up or maybe it was something else.  
  
Yuki put his hands out and cupped the sides of Haru's head, catching his ears under his index and middle fingers, his thumbs on his smooth cheeks. He leaned upward and met his lips with Haru's. It was amazing, to say the least. Haru was surprised but happy that Yuki was the one doing the kissing, and even more surprised and happy when Yuki slipped his tongue into Haru's mouth. Haru almost lost his grip on the edge of the bed in near ecstasy before Yuki broke the kiss, staring at, but not into, Haru's eyes. When he let go of Haru's head, the ox boy promptly fell onto his back. Yuki laughed as he got back up.  
  
"No cow tipping…" Haru ordered. Yuki laughed harder. Haru acted hurt. "You're so cruel to me, Yuuuuki… I should go out and die!"  
  
"No you shouldn't. And weren't you going to keep me warm?"  
  
A nervous sort of giggle escaped Haru's lips.  
  
"Ehehe… you still want me to?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Haru didn't hesitate in climbing into bed with him, bringing himself over Yuki and plopping down between him and the wall. He took a moment to settle before nestling his head on Yuki's shoulder and wrapping one arm under him and one arm over his chest, holding him close. Haru's cowlick ridden hair was tickling Yuki's neck a bit and his breath was warm against his skin.  
  
"I don't see how you could be cold," Haru sighed, sliding his eyes shut. "It's summer time."  
  
Yuki smiled and brought one of his hands up to Haru's arm, resting on it.  
  
"I'm not cold anymore…"  
  
/-/  
  
In the morning, Haru and Yuki acted no different from how they usually acted toward each other, so no one suspected that they shared a kiss and that Yuki fell asleep in Haru's arms willingly and knowingly. Tohru smiled to Yuki when he woke up and first came downstairs.  
  
"Good morning, Souma-kun."  
  
"Oh… morning," Yuki mumbled tiredly.  
  
"I'm… I'm sorry I lied to you," she said, bowing down. "Kyo-kun said that it'd make people mad if they knew that we spent a day together."  
  
"What did you two do?"  
  
"Went for a walk, ate at a restaurant, went grocery shopping, and then headed home," Tohru explained.  
  
"Oh… that's it?" Yuki asked, puzzled.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Kyo made it out to be a big deal… but so did I, I guess."  
  
He brought his hand to the top of her head and smiled.  
  
"I'm sorry that Kyo and I fight over you," he said and went into the kitchen, leaving her behind with the cutest, saddest, most bewildered expression anyone could ever see.  
  
"… Over… me?"

* * *

Ah, Tohru. Clueless as ever. But we love her anyway.  
  
I also wanna say that I must thank you all for the great reviews. I've worked hard at keeping everyone in character (oddly enough, Tohru is the hardest) and it makes me proud when people say that I've done a good job at it. ::bows:: Thank you very much! ::hugs Haru and rides him off into the sunset:: 


	5. Never Gray

Hiya! SakuraBubbles here. Thank you all for the continued support. I appreciate it a lot. You guys rock!! As I present… I give you… LONGER CHAPTERS!! DUN DUN DAN DAAAAAAN!!! Woo. It helps me, too. Hehehe…  
  
Warnings in this chapter, people. Boys kissing and Black Haru on the loose. And naked. You'll see what I mean later, my dears. **By the way**, just to warn you, I wrote this fic specifically for the Yuki/Haru pairing, so if you feel that I give out more of that than Kyo/Tohru, I apologize, but this is what I'm writing, kay? If you dislike this, by all means, skip the lovey gay boy scenes. But also, keep in mind that hey—you might just like it. ::winks::  
  
Oh and YAY the story title is explained in this!! … Sort of. You hafta really look for it. I'll give you… a sticker if you see it.

* * *

Chapter Five: Never Gray

  
  
"I have good news and I have bad news," Shigure said as the group sat around the table for a quick lunch. He sipped from his tea cup and then continued, "The good news is we have a couch coming today. The bad news, not for me anyway, is that Aaya is the one delivering it."  
  
Yuki jumped up and fled from the room, heading upstairs as soon as he heard the name of his older brother. Tohru freaked out. _The gap!_  
  
"S-Souma-kun!"  
  
"Why is that pervert coming to deliver the couch?" asked Kyo with a sigh.  
  
"He said that the shop had an extra one and he had something to bring us anyway," Shigure answered. Haru blinked.  
  
"Something else? Besides the couch?"  
  
Shigure only looked up to the clock on the wall.  
  
"He should be here soon…"  
  
As if on cue, there was a loud knock on the door followed by, "Guuuure-san!" Yuki ran downstairs and put his back to the door, trying to keep Ayame out.  
  
"Let's pretend we're not home…" he suggested as Ayame beat on the door ("Gure-san? Let me in! It's hot out here!"). Shigure chuckled.  
  
"Come now, Yu-chan…" He thought a moment. "Haa-kun, hold him back."  
  
When Haru refused to hold Yuki back against his will, Shigure pushed him toward Yuki so in instinct, Yuki went out to catch him from his fall. At that time, Ayame thrust the door open.  
  
"Yuuuuuuuki-chan!!"  
  
"Go away!"  
  
"Kyonkichi-kun too!"  
  
"Don't call me that!!!"  
  
"Ahh, Haa-chan! Have you finally seduced my brother?"  
  
"Who invited you?!!"  
  
"Tohru-kun, you're looking lovely."  
  
"Aha…"  
  
"Aaya, where's the couch?" asked Shigure, sliding quickly over to the snake, deciding to preserve Yuki, Haru, and Kyo's sanities. Shigure knew that if Yuki tried to escape now, it'd only make things worse. "Oh, it's outside? Ah, you had help bringing it, that's good. Let's go out and get it…"  
  
Haru escorted Yuki into the kitchen for safety and Kyo and Tohru joined them. Yuki poured himself a large glass of water.  
  
"Gah… Shigure must've done this on purpose…" he muttered after taking a long sip. Kyo opened the fridge and pulled out the carton of milk that was inside.  
  
"All we need is Kagura and Momiji and then all of us will have people who are obsessed with us over," he said bitterly and then offered Tohru and Haru a glass of milk as well. Haru politely declined and Tohru said, "Yes, please… and who is Momiji-kun obsessed with?"  
  
They all looked at her blankly and none bothered answering. Kyo grinned suddenly and looked to Yuki.  
  
"Though… then again, you already have **two** people here who are obsessed with you…"  
  
He was referring to Haru. The ox tugged at his own ear.  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"Aahh! Here's where you all are hiding!" exclaimed Ayame, stopping what could have been a fight. "Tohru-kun, I brought you something. Come in here—"  
  
"WHAT DID YOU BRING HER?!?" asked Yuki and Kyo, glaring menacingly at the snake. Ayame put a hand up.  
  
"A dress."  
  
"WHAT KIND OF DRESS?!?"  
  
Haru wasn't surprised at their spooked tones. He knew just the types of dresses Ayame sold, and therefore, why the two were freaking out.  
  
"You'll see… I just wanted to give Tohru-kun something pretty to wear while her arm is broken! It's horrible that it happened… however did it break?"  
  
Tohru glanced quickly at Yuki and then looked away, smiling and patting her broken arm lightly.  
  
"It doesn't matter. It's feeling much better now. It still hurts to move it, though."  
  
"Ah, well that's good. Come on in here," Ayame beckoned, cautiously slinking a lanky arm around Tohru (but only putting his hand to her back to prevent from transforming) and leading her into the other room. The boys followed.  
  
"Couch!!" exclaimed Haru, running over and petting the new piece of furniture admiringly. Shigure had already planted himself into the couch.  
  
"It's comfy," he told Haru before the young man jumped over the back of it and landed sitting at ease on the cushion.  
  
"Here, here, Tohru-kun," said Ayame, brushing his hair off of his shoulders. He asked about which room he could have Tohru change in and Shigure said that she should go up to her room to do so. However, before Ayame could get another foot up the stairs in following her, Yuki halted him.  
  
"I think Honda-san can get dressed on her own," he said.  
  
"But the dress is far too complicated for one to put on by herself," Ayame explained. Tohru looked to him.  
  
"Can I see the dress?"  
  
"Not yet—you will be just as surprised as everyone else!" the snake replied, pulling out a handkerchief. "You'll be blindfolded."  
  
"THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE GOING TO UNDRESS HER WHILE SHE'S BLINDFOLDED!!!" yelled Yuki and Kyo spookily. Haru tugged at his ear again.  
  
"I'll do it."  
  
They stared at him.  
  
"I'll help her get dressed. I promise that I'm the most trustworthy guy in here," he informed them. With his gray eyes on Yuki, he added, "Plus, half-naked women don't interest me."  
  
There was a sound like, "Ehehee…" from Tohru and Ayame's yellow eyes twinkled as he said, "Ah yes, that's right, Haa-chan… I forgot about that."  
  
There was an awkward silence in which Shigure muttered something about Ayame under his breath, but Haru hardly heard him. Yuki slapped his own forehead.  
  
"Anyway, Honda-san—and **Haru**—go change. The quicker you do this—"  
  
"The quicker my precious little brother and I can have some time together to catch up!" Ayame squealed. Tohru smiled and headed upstairs, glad she wasn't able to see Yuki's twitching face. Haru slowly followed her with the dress (hidden in a garment bag) in his hands.  
  
/-/  
  
"I'm not very good with dresses…" Haru confessed as Tohru slipped out of her clothing. He wasn't looking to give her at least a bit of privacy. She giggled as she folded her shirt.  
  
"It's okay… this is embarrassing for the both of us, I'm sure…"  
  
"Yeah, just a **bit**… oh, there's something here to cover you with and to wear under the dress…" said Haru as he discovered the cream silk garment. He held it out behind him so she could take it from him without him looking. She was, for an instant, grateful to Ayame for giving her one as she plucked it from Haru's hand, putting it on. She felt a bit more at ease with something on besides her bra and panties, even if it was just a slip.  
  
"Okay."  
  
He sighed and folded the blindfold over her eyes, muttering about how stupid it was and then telling her, "It's a very nice dress." She blushed and smiled. He left her for a moment and fumbled with the dress a bit, trying to figure it out. Tohru stood awkwardly, blushing, and nervously tipping side to side.  
  
"Ah… Hatsuharu-san… I'm wondering if you know… Souma-kun said something odd to me this morning," she said suddenly.  
  
"Raise your chin," Haru commanded and Tohru obliged, feeling a loose, lacy fabric wrap around her neck. To her question, he asked in return, "What did he say?"  
  
"He said… that he and Kyo-kun fight over me," she said in a hushed voice.  
  
"Excuse me for saying this, but they are both head over heels for you," Haru answered coolly. If her face could have gotten any redder, Haru would have mistaken her for a blindfolded tomato.  
  
"B-b-but why me?! There's absolutely nothing—"  
  
She was interrupted as Haru told her to lift her broken arm. She did so carefully (having taken it out of the sling while undressing), and then continued as Haru dressed her up.  
  
"There's nothing special about me… doesn't Souma-kun have a bunch of girls who like him? And… Kagura-san likes Kyo-kun… and wait, you like Souma-kun, don't you?"  
  
"Yes, I do," said Haru as he buttoned a few things that needed buttoning. "But Tohru, you need to understand that Yuki chooses what **Yuki** wants and Kyo decides what **Kyo** wants, too. Kagura would like to, but she knows she can't, make Kyo do as she wants. Even I…" Haru tightened something around Tohru's waist. "Even I know that I may have to give up on Yuki if you choose him."  
  
"Ch-choose? But… I don't like one more than the other! Ah… I… ahh…"  
  
"I'm not telling you to choose now," Haru chuckled. Tohru only sighed in response—but it was broken sigh, the type of sigh you take when your throat is tight from crying. Haru looked up to her face and saw tears creeping out from underneath the blindfold. "T-Tohru?"  
  
"I… I don't want to choose… I love them both… and if I choose one… the other will be sad… and Kagura-san will hate me if I choose Kyo-kun." She touched Haru's arm tenderly. "A-and…"  
  
"If you choose Yuki, I won't mind one bit," Haru comforted her. "I only want Yuki to be happy."  
  
Tohru was silent and choked back a sob.  
  
"I… don't know how I feel about Souma-kun—"  
  
Haru took off the blindfold and carefully wiped her eyes. She smiled weakly.  
  
"Ayame-san will be mad…"  
  
"It's barbaric to make you open your heart like this and keep you blinded. It seems to me that whether you wear a blindfold or not, you can't see what you want to do…"  
  
"… After the day I broke my arm, I was… distant from Souma-kun. Well, I was distant from both of them." She giggled nervously. "I… I was so scared… when I saw Kyo-kun… in that other form of his."  
  
Haru seemed surprised. _He_ hadn't even seen it. But he stayed quiet.  
  
"I wanted to see his face… his smiling face. I wanted to continue living together, happily. Kyo-kun… ahhh… Souma-kun helped me a bit… but afterwards, he seemed to dislike Kyo-kun more… He… he probably saw that I…"  
  
Haru finished for her.  
  
"That you might like Kyo more…"  
  
She answered with a sob and a sad nod of her head.  
  
"At first I thought… that I didn't belong here with them. But this is the **only** place I belong… I belong with you all… I'd like to think… that Kyo-kun needed me that day."  
  
Haru just listened. Half of him wanted to leap for joy at the fact that Tohru seemed to like Kyo better than Yuki, while the other half wanted to shake her senseless and tell her that Yuki will be crushed and he'll never let her hurt him… though he doubted she would. His thought process more often than not went just like that. Always black and white, never meeting halfway. Never gray.  
  
"Everyone says that I've made Souma-kun change a lot," Tohru went on. "B-but… is this 'changed' Souma-kun the real Souma-kun? Or is he something completely different? Have I made him change for me? … Has he made himself to be something he's not for my sake?"  
  
"Well… he has changed quite a bit. But it's not exactly a bad thing… he smiles more. If anything, you haven't changed him, you've healed him. His dark days are over now that you're in his life. That's something… I could never achieve…"  
  
He sighed and wiped at his own eyes, surprised by his tears.  
  
"I envy you, Tohru. You have Yuki's affections and you have gotten them so easily. I'm jealous but I—"  
  
"Hatsuharu-san!" Tohru choked out, hugging him without thinking. There was a pop and a puff of black and white smoke and Haru was his animal form. Tohru's arm was still around his neck and she was still crying into his coat—although now it was a different kind of coat. Haru was silent as it was very hard to cry as a cow.  
  
Downstairs, Yuki heard the familiar "POOF!" of when one turns into an animal and he headed upstairs. As he entered Tohru's room, he was met with the site of a half-dressed Tohru with her unbroken arm wrapped around the neck of a cow. Both of them looked over at the door opening and Yuki saw the tears that had reddened Tohru's face.  
  
"Honda-san…"  
  
"What did that stupid cow do to you?!" yelled Kyo, who had obviously followed Yuki up.  
  
"Hatsuharu-san did nothing… we…" Tohru tried to explain, but explaining would confess too much. She silenced herself and wiped her eyes.  
  
Ayame pushed through Yuki and Kyo, halting as he saw Haru's form.  
  
"… A cow?"  
  
"… Yes," replied Haru. Ayame concealed his laughter and knelt down next to Tohru. "Ah, Tohru-kun, do you still want to wear that?"  
  
"Ah… sure…"  
  
"Well, Haa-chan, since you are, erm…"  
  
"Shut up, I'll go," said the cow. He followed Yuki and Kyo out of the room as Ayame shooed them. Kyo rushed down the long hall and Yuki walked slowly in back of Haru. When Haru got to the top of the stairs, he stopped and gave a low, "Moo…"  
  
Yuki looked at him and Kyo halted at the bottom of the staircase.  
  
"What's wrong?" Yuki asked.  
  
"I… can't get down the stairs…"  
  
He heard laughter and saw that Shigure was also at the bottom of the stairs, his face bright with laughter.  
  
"You can't get down?!" he asked through his laughter. The cow shook his head side to side. Yuki grinned.  
  
"That's **utterly** terrible…"  
  
Shigure and Kyo laughed harder and in anger, Haru whacked his head against Yuki's stomach with a loud, aggravated "Moooo!!!" Yuki fell over from the attack, which got Kyo laughing much, much harder. It was a good thing that Tohru's room was at the other end of the long hallway.  
  
"Ow!" yelped Yuki. Haru snorted.  
  
"I don't even **have** udders, you bastard."  
  
"Well, Haru, I'd like to get downstairs, but I can't unless you **moo**-ve," the rat teased, holding his stomach. It was then when there was another "POOF!" and Haru was human once again. Naturally, he was naked. Shigure went to the living room to search through Haru's bags for an outfit to give him and Kyo left out of disgust. As they left the immediate area, Haru glared at Yuki.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?" he spat, angry. Yuki sat up.  
  
"I'm sorry, Haru. You… I was just kidding."  
  
((warning for whatever: boy/boy action))   
He saw that glint in Haru's eyes—he had gone black. _And_ he was naked. Haru caught Yuki's chin in his fingers and knelt down between his spread legs. Yuki went to push him off but Haru caught his two hands, having to let go of his chin. He brought Yuki's hands together above his head and held them together by the wrists and pushed him down. Yes, it was definitely a good thing that Ayame and Tohru couldn't hear what was going on down the hall. A good thing for Haru, anyway.  
  
"Now you've done it," Haru whispered, brushing his lips across Yuki's ear. Yuki held back _something_, be it a moan or not, as he felt a hard and hot object rub up against his thigh.  
  
"S…" he began to say but he was silenced as Haru kissed the side of his mouth. Confusion spread across Yuki's face as he felt something warm and wet crash onto his face. _Is… Is Haru crying?_  
  
Haru then made the mistake of letting Yuki's wrists go to try and feel up his shirt. For a moment, Yuki let him, but then came to his senses and pushed Haru off and to the side, shoving him into a wall.  
  
They heard Shigure start up the stairs so Yuki jumped up and walked away, leaving Haru behind to wipe at his eyes and hide his arousal, pretending—or not—to look bashful. Shigure tossed him some clothes and he dressed himself.  
  
/-/ ((scene is done…))  
  
For a moment, after Haru came downstairs, only silence filled the room that he entered, even though Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure were sitting down inside of it. Finally, Kyo burst.  
  
"Why was she crying?!" he asked. Haru sighed, leaning against a wall.  
  
"Because of you two."  
  
"Us?" asked Yuki, surprised. Haru nodded.  
  
"She was wondering why you two have been fighting so much lately. So I told her that you both loved her."  
  
"You WHAT?!" Kyo yelled, but Haru wasn't about to repeat himself.  
  
"Do you two have any idea what you're doing to her? Do you know that you're tearing her in two? She loves you both and frankly, you're both being **very** selfish."  
  
The cat and the rat were quiet. He was right. They had been selfish in only thinking about their own feelings and not hers. Neither of them once thought about how they affected her with their squabbling, fights, and competitions over her.  
  
"One day she may end up like me. Two different people contained into one. It's **not** fun and it's uncontrollable," said Haru. He looked to Kyo. "Fighting over her will get you no where. I figured that **you** of all people would know very well that Tohru isn't some prize to be won at some martial arts tournament."  
  
Kyo felt his face burning up. He was both embarrassed and ashamed. Haru looked to Yuki.  
  
"And you… getting jealous is also not the way to win her affection. I've learned that from liking you. I'd like to think you would have known it as well. And you've also made her feel like she's changed you into something you're not and that she can't possibly match your standards."  
  
"What? I—"  
  
"Shh," Haru hushed him. He looked back to Kyo. "Kyo, you brighten her day each time you smile, you are, for the most part, considerate of her feelings. The other day when Hatori asked if she was right-handed, only you knew that she was, which tells me that you care enough to know so much about her. You see just how special she is and make sure that she knows it, too."  
  
Kyo smiled lightly, thinking of when she told him that he had an plumin his back that he couldn't see. From that day on, he started to really like her, and made sure to tell her that she had an plum, too.  
  
"You, Yuki," said Haru, "are her prince charming. You are sweet to her and you give her things to make her smile. You're always there to protect her, even if it's from me, Momiji, or Ayame. Or Shigure. You share little secrets and jokes with her… you open up to her and share your precious smile with her and **only** her. If only others could be so lucky."  
  
He was referring to himself, of course. And oddly enough, Yuki felt his heart tighten. He tried to dismiss the feeling by looking back on the time at the hot springs when he gave her the ribbons to wear in her hair and made her feel like she was a princess. That she was _his_ princess.  
  
"As for Tohru… she's not sure what to think. She loves the way that you both care for her unconditionally. You have to know in your hearts what is best for **her**."  
  
Silence again fell over the room. Haru said one more thing.  
  
"There were a few other things that she told me, but I have a feeling she'd like to tell you herself."  
  
And then, descending down the stairs, came Tohru, looking the prettiest she ever had in her new dress…

* * *

Not too bad, eh? I love Haru. He just seems like the type of guy to do that sort of thing. ::pets him:: And if you're wondering about Tohru's dress… I have NO idea what it looks like. I just sorta… made it… so that… stuff… could… happen. ::silences self::  
  
::unsilences self:: Boysex in the next chapter. Hope you don't mind!!! HAHAHA! ::bows and runs away:: 


	6. Oushi

Hiya! SakuraBubbles here. WOW guys!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS!!! They seriously made me so happy. **Jessiegurl43953**, you really, really rock. So do your stories, man!! EE!! And **Trena**, here is the sticker I promised for recognizing the reasoning for this fic's title. ::hands you a sticker::  
  
Ah, there are too many reviews to thank but they were all VERY, VERY appreciated. Upon Julia's request, instead of saying "OMFG BOYSEX, IF YOU DON'T LIKE DON'T READ' in the **middle** of the fic, I'm going to warn you with a little symbol. That symbol… shall be… "/-/-/-/-/-/" this. When you see that and you don't like yaoi pairings, skip to where you see the symbol again. Hopefully, none of you will have to be stupid enough to regard those… but that's how some people are. ::shrugs::  
  
Yeah and um…. The scene is kinda long. It wrote itself, I swear.  
  
Kyo/Tohru scenes too. They get a bit sexy in later chapters, but let me tell you—I have a feeling that those two would be a little more awkward about the whole sex thing. Tohru is just so fargen clueless and Kyo is… well… Kyo. Haru is just a horny little bastard, and that's why we love him.  
  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own Fruits Basket nor the characters depicted below. Flames will be used to toast marshmallows OR heat up the candle wax for Haru and Yuki to use later if they so desire. Shove it, flamers.

* * *

Chapter Six: Oushi

  
  
Ayame had stayed for dinner that night, which Haru, as he usually did thanks to Tohru's broken arm, had prepared. Afterward, Ayame bade them all farewells, as he had to return to the shop. Tohru thanked him for the dress and he said that she was worth a thousand dresses. She smiled at him before he and Shigure headed out. Shigure had decided to walk him to the train station.  
  
"It's hot," said Shigure to his companion. Ayame nodded.  
  
"It sure is… do they go back to school soon?"  
  
"Yes, in three more days."  
  
Ayame smiled. "Lucky dogs."  
  
"I should take offense to that…" said Shigure, but he was only kidding. Ayame looked to him as Shigure asked, his tone suddenly serious, "What did Tohru-kun tell you, if anything?"  
  
"… I didn't really want to ask… but I felt compelled to. She told me about what she and Haa-chan talked about."  
  
"Ahh… Haa-kun gave Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun a lecture. It was quite bold and noble of him," Shigure commented.  
  
"She told me that she's in love with Kyo-kun."  
  
Shigure stopped and looked at his silver-haired friend.  
  
"She… she did? … Kyo-kun?"  
  
"Yes. It was one of the last things she said to me. I asked her why and she said that after seeing his true form, she wanted to be with him at all times, even though she is scared that he will change back…"  
  
_"It wouldn't be any help if I was too scared of him or too overprotective. I simply want to love him like he loves me… I want to be his pillar of strength, if he'll let me. If he does change back, I want him to see me as Tohru… the one who will love him always… and I want him to remember that, and be able to change back. I want to continue… being with him… always."_  
  
"That girl is strong enough for all of us…" said Shigure softly. Ayame agreed.  
  
"So… it'll be Kyonkichi-kun then?"  
  
"I suppose so. If you don't mind me saying, I was sort of rooting for him. It'll be wonderful for him to be accepted by her."  
  
"He's always been accepted by her," Ayame reminded him. Shigure nodded, smiling.  
  
"One of the first things that she told me was that she loved the cat from the zodiac. Who knew it'd actually end up being true?"  
  
Ayame chuckled.  
  
"I was rooting for my brother… but more so I just want Tohru-kun to be happy."  
  
"And finally, maybe Kyo-kun can be happy, too."  
  
/-/  
  
Now that he had a couch to sleep on, Haru was lying on the couch downstairs staring up into the ceiling. He rolled to his side, then back to his other side, then onto his back again. The couch was _too_ comfortable. It was also very hot downstairs, which was unusual. If Yuki even dared to say that he was cold… not that he was there anyway. Haru felt the lump in his pillow that happened to be his stuffed rat "Yuki-chan." He was tempted to bring it out and hold onto it through the night but he, wisely, decided against it.  
  
Who knew that he'd get a chance to hold the real Yuki again?  
  
Haru didn't hear him come downstairs at all, but that was thanks to Yuki trying to be as quiet as possible. He smiled as Haru discovered him.  
  
"Hey…" said Haru. Yuki sat down on the cushions.  
  
"Can't sleep?"  
  
"Not a wink."  
  
Yuki put a hand on either side of Haru's head, resting it on the pillow below him. Haru blinked.  
  
"Ah?" was all he managed before Yuki leaned down and kissed him right on the mouth. That was twice now that Yuki made the first move. _Dammit… I'm supposed to be the dominant one here…_  
  
"What was that for?" Haru asked, trying to feign disapproval.  
  
"To help you get to sleep, maybe?" Yuki offered an explanation, brushing his hair behind his ear to get it out of his face. He moved himself so that his body was hovering above Haru's, his only support being his palms besides Haru's head and his legs (from his knees down) on the sides of Haru's legs. Haru reached up and cupped his hand on the back of Yuki's head, bringing him back down for another sweet kiss.  
  
"I also… should thank you, I guess…" Yuki continued.  
  
"Thank me?"  
  
"Yes. You were crying today, weren't you? With Honda-san?"  
  
Haru nodded quietly.  
  
"I thought so. She told me… everything."  
  
"Everything?!" Haru asked in alarm. Yuki kissed the side of Haru's neck and spoke softly into his ear, "After dinner she told me everything. She's choosing Kyo."  
  
For some reason, Haru felt a stab of pain in his heart. _Yuki…_  
  
"It's all right, though," said Yuki as if he read Haru's mind. "I realized something today. … Well, I realized a lot of things today. But one of them was that I've been neglecting someone who cares very much for me."  
  
"Yuki, don't," Haru whispered. "Don't start showing an interest in me simply because you feel an obligation to. That's the worse thing you could do."  
  
"Did I say that I was going to?" Yuki asked. "I'm doing this for myself. It was **me** who invited you into my bed last night. And it's **me** who is joining you in your bed tonight."  
  
For half a second, Haru was grateful to the darkness for hiding his blush, but then he realized that Yuki could probably see it anyway.  
  
"Haru… it's not fair to you, what I've been doing. If I truly never cared about you, I would have told you to back off, right? I was denying it all the while… I never had the strength to tell you to go away… You were always… looking out for me. And I was too arrogant to notice…"  
  
He sighed hotly against Haru's neck, causing the young man to crane his chin up, exposing more of his neck instinctively.  
  
"I think… I think I might just love you, Haru…" /-/-/-/-/-/  
  
A look of relief, peace, and of pure passion washed over Haru's face as he hugged Yuki to his body, running his hand through the boy's hair and speaking about his own affection for him. Yuki let himself go and they kissed again, want and need taking over. Haru's hands were caressing up and down Yuki's back, making him arch ever so slightly at the touch. His own hands surprised him as they reached under Haru's shirt, exploring and feeling everything around.  
  
Haru arched his hips up to meet Yuki's and set off a spark that eventually ignited something Yuki thought he would never do and Haru only dreamed of. Yuki gasped when the two of their hips met (or more accurately, their arousals) and Haru stammered out Yuki's name.  
  
Haru pulled at the elastic top of Yuki's boxers hesitantly, wondering what the older boy would do. A jolt of pleasure was sent through him as Yuki squeezed a nipple in reply to Haru's prior action.  
  
"Nnng…"  
  
Yuki grinned and sat up for a moment, stripping off his shirt. Haru quickly did the same and then arched up to meet Yuki in another kiss, carefully sliding his hands up the sides of Yuki's chest. Yuki shivered as his bare skin connected with Haru's.  
  
"Don't tell me you're cold…" muttered Haru, his lips still close to Yuki's.  
  
"N-No…"  
  
Haru grinned and allowed Yuki to push him back down to the couch, deciding to let him be a bit dominant. He once again began to touch Yuki's bare back, loving the warmth that was emitting from him. His skin was so smooth and his own hands were so rough. He almost wanted to ask Yuki how it felt, but he decided to keep that for later.  
  
Yuki was sucking tenderly on Haru's neck when he felt Haru's hand reaching under his shorts. He threw his head back and arched his hips back up.  
  
"You don't like—"  
  
"N... no, I do… it just surprised me…"  
  
Haru decided to be a bit slower and he found that Yuki preferred this pace. He made a mental note of it and kept one hand on the side of Yuki's hip and the other on his chest. Yuki brought his head up to kiss Haru on the lips before saying, "I didn't say that you had to stop…"  
  
Haru rather liked this dominant Yuki and he grinned, obliging most happily. He reached under his boxers slowly, both to obey Yuki and torture him. Yuki let out a gasp when Haru wrapped his hand around his erection and shut his eyes. Haru began to move his hand up and down and Yuki found that it was hard to move, yet very easy to pant.  
  
"This is what you want?" Haru asked, his lips rubbing against Yuki's ear. When Yuki gave him no answer save for some heavy breathing, he tightened his grip for half a second so Yuki managed a small yelp of affirmation. Haru hushed him with a kiss and continued what he was doing, more so when Yuki started to shudder. They both knew exactly what was coming, no pun intended.  
  
"Ahhn…H-Haru…" Yuki stammered, quivering above him, barely able to hold himself up. Haru noticed this and sat the both of them up, kissing hungrily at his neck, moving his hand faster. Yuki threw his head back and arched his back, the sweat on his stomach touching Haru's. Yuki felt a searing white hot _something_ coarse through his body and he released himself with a muffled cry, since Haru had forced his mouth over Yuki's in order to hush him a bit. They couldn't have anyone interrupting, not if they had gotten this far.  
  
"Haru…" Yuki breathed after he had calmed down a bit. Haru removed the older boy of his only piece of clothing along with his own before slowly letting him lie down on the couch. Haru didn't do anything right away, for he found he enjoyed kissing Yuki's exposed and sweat-ridden chest almost as much. Yuki's hands found Haru's face and made him look over to him. He was still panting a tiny bit.  
  
"I really do… love you," he said to him. Haru smiled.  
  
"You have no idea how happy that makes me…"  
  
Pointing down to Haru's erection, Yuki said, "Oh, I have an idea."  
  
Haru chuckled and leaned over, kissing Yuki's collar bone tenderly. When Haru rubbed up against him, neither of them could hold back a moan, one moan cracked a bit from minor exhaustion. Haru's gray eyes met with violet ones and they knew at once that they both needed this.  
  
_Badly._  
  
Haru pushed one finger in after a nod from Yuki and the first thing he thought was that was warm and very tight. The first thing that Yuki thought was that it hurt just as much as it felt… amazing… Haru hesitantly moved his finger around and then inserted another digit carefully. Yuki arched his back in response and Haru decided to keep it at this for a bit. His other hand was drawing circles on Yuki's heaving stomach, occasionally reaching up to caress one nipple.  
  
Yuki finally once grabbed at Haru desperately, looking up at him with large purple eyes. Haru knew what he wanted and withdrew his fingers. He looked down and wondered… _ah shit… what about lube?_  
  
"No lube?" asked Yuki and this surprised Haru a bit. _How did he know?_  
  
"Well… no…"  
  
Yuki smiled pleasantly and sat up, scooting back on the couch a bit in preparation. He kissed Haru on the cheek once and then leaned down, taking him abruptly into his mouth.  
"Nnng!!" was Haru's reply to this action. "S-so… aaaahn…" He couldn't do anything; he was completely paralyzed. _Jeez… has he done this before?!_ He couldn't believe this one bit… here was Yuki, the boy he had loved for so long, giving this to him so willingly. As his head became heavy, he found he could no longer take it and pushed Yuki back up before allowing him to finish what he had barely begun. Yuki made a noise of confusion before being pinned back down, his shoulders on the armrest.  
  
"Haru—"  
  
"I'm trying my best not to go black," Haru told him as he positioned himself. "I wanna remember this."  
  
Yuki thrust his knuckles into his mouth to halt a holler from escaping as Haru thrust something else into somewhere else. Haru stayed still, letting Yuki get used to this, even though all he wanted was to… well, he would soon enough. His thoughts were similar to when he had tried it with his fingers, but it was so, so much better. He had his palms down on the sofa on either side of Yuki's chest.  
  
Yuki told him nothing to say that he was ready; he simply moved his hips up against Haru's. Without hesitation, the younger man slowly thrust in and out of him, careful of what made Yuki wince and what didn't. He didn't want to hurt him.  
  
Too much.  
  
He wrapped the fingers of his right hand around the head of Yuki's erection and the older boy gave out a gasp. Haru decided to match his thrusting rhythms with his hand and did this well. Soon, however, Yuki found that he was thrusting his hips toward Haru just as much as Haru was thrusting into him. The pace was quicker and Yuki was finding it hard to focus on anything besides the two things happening to him at once. Not that he would want to.  
  
Haru eventually wrapped his free, left arm, around Yuki's shoulders and gained power from his grip. Yuki no longer held back his cries of pleasure and Haru didn't bother keeping his moans low. They didn't care who heard them. All that mattered to them was the one right in front of him, thrusting against or into one another.  
  
"Aah… aaaAAa…"  
  
It was becoming unbearable and in a shout, Yuki lost it, arching against Haru and becoming limp after letting go. Haru's thrusts were more sporadic as he no longer had any control, but enough to keep him white. He moaned loudly and collapsed onto Yuki when his vision became obsolete.  
  
"Aaahh!!"  
  
He released into him, panting and sweating. He removed himself slowly but still laid on top of Yuki.  
  
"Did I… do okay?" asked Haru after a bit of catching their breaths. Yuki swallowed in mixed pants.  
  
"Yes… very much so…" /-/-/-/-/-/  
  
Haru nuzzled his head against Yuki's neck, intertwining his fingers with the other boy's. Yuki ran his other hand through Haru's hair and was surprised to find it soaked with sweat.  
  
"Did you go black?"  
  
"No," Haru smiled into his neck. After a bit he told him, "I love you, Yuki…"  
  
"I know you do. And if… I denied my love for you now… I'd look awful, wouldn't I?" Yuki managed to chuckle. Since when was he so tired?  
  
Oh… right.  
  
"Haru… we can't… stay like this though…"  
  
Haru giggled, imagining the scene that would befall the house if Haru didn't wake up first and they were discovered. But Yuki was so loud that he would be surprised if no one gave them any odd glances in the morning. They decided that they would use their last bit of strength to at least get their boxers back on and then the blanket could cover the rest.  
  
They fell asleep in an instant after getting comfy on the couch, Yuki wrapped up in Haru's arms.  
  
Miraculously, no one had heard them, or at least if they did, they were being polite about it. The two boys didn't really sense that anyone was hiding their knowledge; however, Shigure kept looking at Yuki with a sly smile and a glimmer in his eye all day…  
  
/-/  
  
The days leading up to the day back to school from vacation were less eventful than the ones prior to them. That isn't to say that _nothing_ happened… for example, the two blooming couples were getting cozier with each other and Kyo and Yuki only played around, never seriously fought. Haru spent the last few nights of freedom with Yuki, simply talking and falling asleep together. Kyo and Tohru didn't exactly spend their nights together but they definitely spent the majority of the day with each other.  
  
The four of them had never felt so relieved and free in their lives. Everything was finally at peace.  
  
… For a time.  
  
"Tohru," called Arisa, waving a hand. Tohru looked over to who was calling her.  
  
"Uo-chan!"  
  
"Tohru-chan…"  
  
Tohru smiled happily as she saw Saki standing next to Arisa.  
  
"Hana-chan!"  
  
Saki smiled a tiny bit and then stared at Tohru's arm. "Oh… your ulna is broken…"  
Although she was boggled as to _how_ Saki knew that it was specifically her ulna, Tohru replied, "Yeah, it doesn't really hurt much anymore… I fell down."  
  
"Fell down? Tohru, you have to be more careful…" said Arisa, bopping Tohru on the head lightly. Tohru nodded in response. Saki suddenly looked around, catching some signals.  
  
"I see… a cow… in your future…"  
  
Yuki blushed at hearing it and Haru's mixed hair stood on end as they passed them. Saki was staring at Haru intently. Tohru freaked out.  
  
"U-uh… yeah, we're having uhh… uhh… steak for d-dinner… Y-yeah! Some s-steak!" Haru froze, turning pale.  
  
"Steak?" his mouth was gaping. Haru was a _very_ heavy vegetarian, for he was indeed a cow… Yuki held him up, looking to Tohru with wide "ohmygodwhatdowedo" eyes. She freaked out even more.  
  
"Aaaah, I mean…"  
  
"Tooohru!!!" yelled a high voice. Tohru turned and saw Momiji running up to her, arms wide. Kyo managed to stop the rabbit from crashing into Tohru and making a big disaster.  
  
"Waaah! Kyo-kun hit me!"  
  
"Shut up you stupid brat!"  
  
Tohru sighed but was happy anyway. She felt so very happy back with her friends, although, she thought as she gazed at Kyo, vacation was a lot of fun, too.  
  
/-/  
  
At the end of the school day, they all met outside. Tohru had promised Arisa and Saki that she would spend the afternoon with them since she had hardly seen them over vacation. As they were leaving, however, Momiji learned that Kyo and Tohru were a bit more than friends… and that fact made quite a scene.  
  
"Eeeeh?! Kyo-kun and Tohru are dating now!?"  
  
Saki and Arisa halted, Tohru blushed and flailed her good arm, Kyo grabbed Momiji's head, threatening to crush it like a melon, and Yuki tipped over into Haru's arms. _Wonderful… dammit Momiji…_  
  
"… You…" started Arisa, turning slowly. "You… orange… headed… BASTARD!!"  
  
She ran for him, her elbow forward. Tohru once again freaked out.  
  
"Aahh!! Uo-chan! Stop!"  
  
She would only ever obey Tohru, so she did indeed stop. Saki stood next to Arisa.  
  
"Tohru-chan… we will test him now."  
  
So she and Arisa grabbed Kyo by the arms (and luckily it wasn't enough of an action to change him into his cat form) and pulled him back into the school. The others stood outside, quite confused.  
  
"Uhhh…" Haru let out, blinking. "What the hell just happened?"  
  
"Momiji… opened his big mouth…" said Yuki. The rabbit clutched the hat he had on.  
  
"Yuuuuki… please don't be mad…"  
  
Yuki looked to Tohru. "Honda-san, are you all right?"  
  
She turned to him, her face very red and replied, "W-Well… I'm more worried about Kyo-kun…"  
  
Once the trio was inside, Saki and Arisa thrust Kyo away, staring down at him.  
  
"I had a feeling… that it was going to be you…" said Saki, looking at Kyo with no expression on her face. Arisa had her arms crossed.  
  
"Feh… stupid carrot top. What the hell does she see in you?"  
  
"Shut up, Yankee!" snapped Kyo. _You have_ got _to be kidding me…_  
  
"Uotani-san, wait…" Saki said, putting her arm in front of Arisa. "Let me finish. One night a long while ago, Tohru-chan nearly lost it all. She almost lost something very precious to her. I could sense it. Seeing her there in the rain—"  
  
_"She saw me! She saw me! She saw me! She saw me! It's all over! There's no hope!"_  
  
"—I knew that something horrible was happening. When Uotani-san tried to keep her back, I had to do something. Although it hurt the both of us, we knew we had to let her go. Only I knew the source of the problem—you—and knew that she had to go to you. She had to go to the place where she belonged. As I saw her walk away, tears fell down my face and I screamed in agony. I had lost… willingly to you."  
  
Kyo listened and stared at her, remembering that horrible night. The lengths Akito would go to hurt people… but luckily… it had backfired and brought Tohru and Kyo even closer.  
  
"Uotani-san and I love her very much," Saki continued. "You can take that in whatever form you'd like… but you must understand that I have already accepted defeat."  
  
"I, on the other hand, have not," Arisa barked. "I want to know your intentions for her."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"… Have you touched our precious Tohru-chan?"  
  
"T-touched?!"  
  
"… You know what I mean."  
  
"We haven't even kissed yet!!"  
  
Arisa looked away from the incredible living cherry named Kyo and to Saki. Saki nodded. "He's telling the truth."  
  
"What are you, a lie detector?!" yelled Kyo, picking his head up and relieved to feel it cool down. Saki simply nodded. Arisa went on.  
  
"How do I know that you will truly care for her?" she asked coldly. Kyo's hands balled up into fists but he tried his best to stay calm and do it their way.  
  
"Because I love her! I would never do anything to hurt her, not after all this time. She… she makes me feel like I can do anything, even beat that damn ra—that damn Yuki. I wouldn't be able to go on if she wasn't smiling at me or… if she… left us… I don't know what I would do. As for my intentions for her… of course I'd like to kiss her but I'm **certainly** not the type of guy who would go around using women. Especially not her. I love her. And if I need the two of you to give me permission to date her, then fine!  
  
"May I? May I take her from the two of you? Please… I just want to be with her. This is my only chance at happiness. I almost lost her… twice now. I don't want to lose her again."  
  
Arisa was impressed by his words and Saki was smiling, knowing that the only vibes coming from the strange boy were vibes of love.  
  
"Well, well, orange head," Arisa began, running a hand through her hair. "I suppose… that you can have her… for now."  
  
Kyo took a deep breath and then nodded. Saki's eyes trailed from Arisa's face to Kyo's.  
  
"However… if you ever, **ever** hurt her…" she warned, her braid flapping in a non-existent breeze. Kyo backed up fear clearly etched onto his face.  
  
"D-don't waste a worry on it…"  
  
/-/((By the way, I looooved that scene sooo much. I love you Kyo!!))  
  
Momiji had just finished doodling a bit on Tohru's cast when Kyo stepped out, Arisa and Saki backing him. Haru pushed himself up from the grass and Yuki looked over from his spot next to Momiji. Kyo was grinning oddly as though he had a gun pressed to the back of his head and was being forced to look happy.  
  
"Tohru-chan," beckoned Saki. Tohru stood and looked at her friend.  
  
"Hana-chan?"  
  
"We approve," said Arisa, pushing Kyo forward. Because he wasn't expecting that at all, he tumbled over. Yuki held back a laugh from habit. Tohru nervously chuckled as Kyo helped himself up.  
  
"He's a good boy, despite his looks," Arisa went on. Kyo glared at her but said nothing. Tohru went to him.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"You… have scary friends."  
  
Tohru laughed but was grateful to Saki and Arisa for caring about her so much to make sure nothing bad would ever happen to her. Even though it was Kyo and he would never hurt her anyway. After a bit, they exchanged farewells; Tohru started to walk home with Saki and Arisa when Kyo called her over.  
  
"Hey… when are you going to be home?"  
  
"Seven, I think."  
  
He nodded his head approvingly. "All right. I suppose I'll cook for those morons." He gently tilted her chin up and took a small breath inward.  
  
Yuki watched them as they shared their first kiss. A few days ago, seeing this would have made him rip Kyo's face off, but now he just smiled, happy for Tohru, rather, the both of them. He felt Haru's arm wrap around his hip and yet neither of them said anything. Yuki leaned back into Haru's warmth as Momiji watched both couples in awe. Kyo sighed after Tohru had long since walked away.  
  
"Ahem," he made them aware that they weren't the only people in the schoolyard. Yuki giggled softly as one of the members of the Prince Yuki Fan Club stared at him, her eyes shaking with confusion. Haru let go of him and turned.  
  
"Let's go home."  
  
As they walked, Yuki's mind was on many different things. After they bade farewell to Momiji, Yuki spoke.  
  
"Kyo… I need to tell you something."  
  
The three of them stopped walking. Kyo turned around, having been walking in front of Yuki.  
  
"What's up?" he asked.  
  
"I suppose I should congratulate you…" Yuki said, his hand in his gray hair. Kyo blinked.  
  
"Congratulate?"  
  
"Yes. You finally won against me."  
  
"… She's not some tourney prize," Kyo said, his eyes to the sidewalk beneath his white shoes. Yuki nodded.  
  
"Yes, I suppose you're right…" His purple eyes softened. "Kyo… that night when Honda-san saw you… as… as—"  
  
"That monster," Kyo finished bitterly. Yuki continued, "… That night, I realized it. I stood back and watched as she saved you from… yourself. You tried to keep her away but you knew that you couldn't. Eventually, she healed you, and you were yourself again. I stood there, watching you and her… and realized for the first time that I was going to lose her."  
  
Haru felt a bit uncomfortable but did his best not to show it. He promised both Tohru and himself that he would never be jealous.  
  
"You hugged her tightly that night and I saw that, unlike mine, your love for her was pure," said Yuki. "Only she could have saved you that night. Kagura-san would not have helped… even she knew it. Only Honda-san could bring you back. Only Honda-san and her love for you could bring you back."  
  
Kyo closed his eyes slowly, remembering when he had just become human again and how he had hugged her, the both of them crying. It had felt so great to him, not just because of how she felt against his bare chest or how soft her hair was when he stroked it… but because it was her… Tohru…  
  
_"Tohru… Tohru…"_  
  
"The reason I continued to fight you after that day was because… I wasn't ready to lose her," Yuki confessed.  
  
"I'm sorry, Yuki, that it had to be this way," said Kyo nobly. Yuki shook his head.  
  
"For a while, I thought that Honda-san could be my princess. I was willing to protect her at all costs—I even fought against Akito-san to keep her safe. I can't believe it took me this long to realize that I… I don't think I would be able to love her as much as you do, Kyo."  
  
Kyo was surprised at his statement.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"You are always looking out for her well-being."  
  
Kyo looked away again. "So are you…"  
  
"No… no I'm not. I'm selfish, Kyo." Haru felt Yuki's eyes on him, but he ignored them, finding a nearby butterfly something much more interesting to watch. "… I think that if Honda-san chose me instead, I would one day hurt her. … As if I haven't already."  
  
He smiled up to the sky. "She belongs with you, Kyo."  
  
Kyo couldn't help but feel sorry for him and bit his lower lip.  
  
"…"  
  
/-/  
  
That same day, Shigure had visited the main house to see Akito, for the head of the family had beckoned him there. Hatori had just come back from picking Momiji up from school.  
  
"Shigure…" he spoke. Momiji waved to the dog.  
  
"Shii-chan!"  
  
Shigure smiled and walked over to them. Hatori asked about why he was here.  
  
"Akito-san wanted to see me about something," Shigure replied, fumbling with his tie. Momiji giggled.  
  
"I wonder if it has anything to do with Tohru-kun and Kyo-kun…"  
  
"I have a feeling it might be…" Shigure said, his eyes distant. Hatori shoved his hands into his pockets.  
  
"… Akito still hates her."  
  
"Naturally."  
  
They said nothing more on the matter and Shigure found himself in Akito's room. Akito was lying down in front of him, but not facing him. He hardly did.  
  
"… It has come to my attention… that Hatsuharu is living with you in your house," Akito spoke. Shigure hid his surprise. _This… isn't about Tohru-kun?_  
  
"Yes… temporarily. He's only staying to help with the housework until Tohru-kun has healed."  
  
Akito already knew about the broken arm so he said nothing about it.  
  
"I'm also aware that he has gotten rather close to my Yuki-kun…"  
  
_Shit…_  
  
"How close?" asked Akito, his kimono slipping off of his shoulders.  
  
"I-I'm not sure."  
  
"Liar. You fool… you should know better than to lie to me," Akito said, turning his head and fixing his sleeve.  
  
"They've… they've already gone and… well, you know. I overheard them. It seems as though Yuki-kun is very much taken with Haa-kun now."  
  
"Shut up. I don't want to hear anymore about how that fucking slut has contaminated my dear Yuki…" Akito hushed him. "Tell the both of them that I'd like to speak to them at the end of the week and no later."  
  
Shigure winced, but agreed.  
  
As he left the premise, he walked past Kagura yet said nothing to her. She grabbed his sleeve.  
  
"Shii-chan?"  
  
He turned and looked surprised. He hadn't even seen her as he passed by.  
  
"Oh! Kagura, I didn't see you."  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"A bit… tired…"  
  
Kagura giggled and asked about Kyo.  
  
"Kyo-kun? He's…"  
  
He certainly wasn't going to tell her about Kyo and Tohru. He would have them accompany him back to the main house on Friday as well.

* * *

aAaaaah… Shit is going to hit the FAN, people. Yeah, scary next chapter. Bwahaha I'm so evil lately, aren't I?? ::laughs like Ayame:: HAHAHA. Speaking of Ayame… more Ayame in chapter………….. eight! Wow, lots of spiffy stuff happens in that chapter!! Yay! Please review, okay?? ::bows and runs away:: 


	7. Inoshishi

Hiya! SakuraBubbles here. Ah, chapter seven… ::turns on a fan::  
  
Okay, as I've told many people, you're either going to kill Akito himself or me for writing this chapter. The first part is for comic relief or something, so calmeth downeth. Yeaaaah… this is a LOOOONG chapter but very eventful. I promise to keep you on the edge of your seats.  
  
**Disclaimer**: Eh, you know I don't own anything, so here are some **Warnings**: Prince Yuki members going psycho, mathematical equations, Kagura, and violence, people. Hello, it's an AKITO chapter. Doi. Also, due to my lack of knowledge of the curse's real… deal, I somewhat go AU-ish because… yeah, I needed to. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Seven: Inoshishi

  
  
If anyone ever told Tohru that her days were uneventful, they were very far from correct. It was the second day after vacation when she and Haru had an adventure together. Apparently, some of the Prince Yuki Fan Club members found out about Tohru's relationship with Kyo and also Haru's relationship with their prince. During break, the three fan members in Tohru's class confronted her.  
  
"Vice president Kinoshita Minami, I've chosen you to go forward with this operation," said Minagawa Motoko, the president of the Prince Yuki Fan Club. "As for me, I'll escort that wave girl to the office to deliver some papers."  
  
"Right," said Minami. "Member one, Yamagishi Mio, and member two, Gotou Mai will accompany me."  
  
"Right!"  
  
After Motoko led Saki out of the room, the three girls cornered Tohru.  
  
"Honda-kun, we've heard that you turned down Yuki-kun!"  
  
"Yeah, and for that stupid carrot head!"  
  
"How COULD you?!"  
  
"Aahh…" was all Tohru could manage before they interrupted her.  
  
"And that wave girl isn't here right now! You have no protection! That yankee can't take us all!"  
  
"We'll pay you back for breaking our prince's heart!"  
  
"But I…" Tohru squeaked but the girls wouldn't hear it. They continued up until there was a voice.  
  
"What are you doing to Tohru?"  
  
They all, including Tohru, looked over to see Haru standing there. He usually came with Momiji to hang out during break. Momiji, however, was bothering Kyo. Yuki was at a quick school meeting.  
  
The girls looked to Haru.  
  
"Who…?" Mai started to ask but then she remembered. "You're… you're Souma Hatsuharu, right?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"You! I saw you yesterday with your hands all over Yuki-kun!" snapped Minami, pointing furiously at him. The other girls held back shrieks.  
  
"That… You… Yuki-kun…"  
  
"Wow, Yuki-kun is gay?" asked Mai, slightly interested. Minami's eyes widened.  
  
"Well… that **would** explain a lot…" She pointed rudely at Tohru. "But Honda here was practically **hogging** him! How did you get to Yuki-san without getting rid of her? We've all loved Yuki-kun forever! How did you sneak in?"  
  
"I didn't 'sneak in,' I've been in love with Yuki for longer than you've known him. And obviously you didn't really love him because if you did, you would have been able to let him go to Tohru if he wanted," said Haru calmly as if they should have already known (which technically, they should have). Minami shook her head.  
  
"Some of us were expecting to give up our prince to Honda… but not some… fag!"  
  
Haru's left eye twitched. "What… did you just call me?"  
  
_Ah! Hatsuharu-san, don't turn black!_ thought Tohru desperately. She went in between Haru and the girls, facing Haru.  
  
"Hatsuharu-san, please don't get too angry—"  
  
But that set him off even more.  
  
"Don't get angry? Why not? I may in fact be gay, but to call me something so bigoted just proves their intelligence, doesn't it, Tohru?"  
  
Kyo took that time to look over. He freaked out and whacked Momiji.  
  
"Shut up! Tohru needs help," he snapped at the blonde. They headed over to witness Haru threatening to pull Minami's pigtails out of her head.  
  
"Cut it out, Haru, they aren't worth going black over," Kyo warned. Momiji bobbed up to Tohru, offering her a lollipop. Haru glared at Kyo.  
  
"They're not worth the breathing space either, but they're still there, right?" he taunted. Mio sneered at him.  
  
"You're not worthy enough to date Yuki-kun!"  
  
This would have gotten Haru to really toss the girls outside the second floor window, but he froze and was calmed as arms wrapped around his torso and pulled him back.  
  
"I think he's worthy enough," came Yuki's sweet voice. Haru put his hands to Yuki's arms, grinning incredibly at the reaction the fan club girls had to Yuki's provocative behavior while Tohru blushed, Kyo hissed, and Momiji seemed unfazed and… bored? Motoko and Saki took that time to return to the room. Saki ran straight over and grabbed Tohru's arm.  
  
"Is everything all right? I was getting awful waves…"  
  
"Ah, Hana-chan…" Tohru said, surprised that Saki said nothing about how Yuki and Haru were teasing the fan club girls. Motoko's jaw dropped.  
  
"Yuki? What…?"  
  
"Yuki-kun is gay!" cheered Mai a _bit_ too loudly. The entire class looked over and Yuki jumped off of Haru, falling over. Suddenly there was an entire crowd around Yuki's sprawled and embarrassed body, asking him questions as if there was no tomorrow. Kyo hissed at them and knew that something needed to be done.  
  
He put his hand to his chin, grinned, and thought about it more. _Well… nah, I'll let him be tortured juuuust a bit longer… damn rat._  
  
/-/  
  
It was raining on Thursday night so Kyo was down in the dumps with Tohru as his only support. Kyo was helping Tohru clean up dinner, Shigure was with his editor, and Yuki was helping Haru with his homework. Shigure had made the announcement that they were going to the Main House after school Friday (the next day), so they talked little amongst themselves about anything other than the task at hand.  
  
"There—is this right?" asked Haru, holding up his messy paper, full of erase marks and blotches. He _loathed_ mathematics with a burning passion. The only passion that surpassed it was the one he had for Yuki. The older boy looked over his paper.  
  
"… You forgot to carry the two over here…"  
  
"Aaah!! I hate math!" yelled Haru angrily. Yuki stayed calm.  
  
"It's just a tiny error that you can fix. You've got the formula right. Just try it again, it's that simple."  
  
Haru snatched his paper back and started copying down what he had up until the error. Yuki continued to read his own book, jotting down notes on a paper. He was caught by surprise when Haru hit the book out of Yuki's hands and pinned him down.  
  
"Haru…"  
  
"I'm scared."  
  
Yuki's eyes softened. "Of what?"  
  
"Akito-san," he replied. "I've never… talked with him except for at the New Years Banquet, and that wasn't actually a one-on-one conversation."  
  
Yuki stroked his lover's face.  
  
"It's okay. I'll be there with you."  
  
Haru nuzzled his face into Yuki's neck.  
  
"I know you will be…"  
  
He felt Yuki's arms wrap around him as he, too, admitted that he was scared.  
  
"I… I went against him once when he was hurting Honda-san… but before that, I never dared to…" he trailed off as Haru nibbled lovingly on his ear.  
  
"Souma-kun, I—"  
  
Tohru halted after sliding the door open, staring at the heap known as Yuki and Haru. Haru rolled to the side and clutched his math book for safety. Yuki stared at Tohru, his mouth and his eyes open wide. Haru noticed that Kyo was behind her, holding back gags.  
  
"Aaah! I'm sorry, I should have knocked… I—"  
  
"N-no, Honda-san, we weren't… doing anything… well…" Yuki stammered. Haru looked to her, then Kyo, then back to Tohru.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"D-don't be! I simply… wanted to… well, it's about Akito-san," she said. Yuki patted the carpet next to him. After looking to Kyo (who nodded), she came over and sat down near him. Kyo leaned against Yuki's bureau.  
  
"… You and Hatsuharu-san are going to see him while Kyo-kun and I are going to see Kagura-san," Tohru stated the apparent.  
  
"I'm not sure which one of us has it worse," Haru spoke, his eyes on Kyo. He grimaced and crossed his arms over his chest. Tohru only smiled sadly.  
  
"Well… I wanted to wish the both of you luck… I'm very worried…"  
  
Her hand went to the top of her head near the back, where a few months ago, Akito had pulled on her hair.  
  
"Every time I think about him… my head hurts right here… I only hope that he's changed since then…"  
  
Haru wondered about what she meant. She looked to him and told him what Akito had done to her. Kyo watched her as she spoke, wishing that he could have been there with her, however, as the cat, he was never allowed to see Akito face-to-face unless specifically beckoned.  
  
"And… we're going to see that guy?" Haru asked Yuki, who nodded once. Haru swallowed. "Oh… man…"  
  
The four of them could only hope things weren't going to go the same way. Yuki put a hand on Tohru's.  
  
"Honda-san, I want to wish you luck, too. After all, you're meeting with Kagura-san. I know that she'll be fine with it, but she'll probably take it harshly. She's loved Kyo for quite some time now. However, like me, she'll only want to see the one she loves happy and let him go."  
  
"Souma-kun…" Tohru whispered. He smiled and gave her the only kiss he would ever give her on the top of her head. Kyo didn't care, obviously. It was a kiss that mimicked what Yuki said next.  
  
"I will always be… your prince."  
  
Tohru giggled softly.  
  
"So that makes Hatsuharu-san your princess?"  
  
"Hatsuharu-hime," Yuki teased. Haru shrugged.  
  
"I don't care as long as I get a pretty dress to wear."  
  
The four of them shared a round of laughter, trying to keep as positive as they could before everything was torn down the next day.  
  
/-/  
  
Tohru tightened her grip on Kyo's hand, suddenly scared. Haru and Yuki were next to them—they felt safer all together, for some reason. They stopped and looked at her.  
  
"Kagura-san… she'll hate me…" Tohru spoke softly. Kyo shook his head and ran his hand through her hair, kissing her on the forehead, then on the cheek, then on the lips. Kyo found that this was a very special kiss to Tohru, for each time he did it, the both of them felt much, much more calm.  
  
"She won't. She doesn't have it in her heart to hate anyone," he told her. Tohru had to settle with this. She looked to Yuki and then Haru.  
  
"Good luck…"  
  
"You, too."  
  
They went their separate ways and even Kyo felt less confident. They saw Kagura outside of where she stayed at the main house. She was wearing her pretty green dress, contrasting Tohru's yellow sundress. She turned and said nothing. Tohru did her best to stay strong. She wished that she could hold onto Kyo's hand again, but in front of Kagura, it was best not to.  
  
Finally, Kagura moved forward, heading to Kyo. She moved her arm out and swiftly slapped him across the face. Tohru kept her head down.  
  
"**That** was for betraying me," Kagura snapped, waiting for him to straighten before slapping him again on the other cheek.  
  
"**That** was for continuing to lead me on," she hissed and slapped him a third time. His right cheek was burning red.  
  
"For going behind my back!"  
  
And a forth. Now his cheeks matched.  
  
"And **that** was for not telling me."  
  
He held his face as Kagura looked to Tohru. Tohru held her breath, expecting the same treatment.  
  
"Honda-san… I predicted that this would happen," Kagura spoke, her voice was still firm and angry. "I knew I couldn't stop you two from getting closer. It just **hurt**, Honda-san. It hurt to know that some girl like you could win his heart so easily."  
  
It was like it was Haru all over again, only meaner. Haru hadn't called her "some girl." Tohru stayed silent.  
  
"I wanted to be the one that protected him!" Kagura yelled. "I wanted to be the one who could bring him back from that awful form of his! I was the only one who accepted it! I love him, you… you…"  
  
It looked like Kagura did her best to discontinue the sentence she had formed in her mouth. Tohru felt like someone had slowly placed an elephant on her shoulders, for her knees were shaking slightly.  
  
"… Honda-san, I don't want you to take my Kyo-kun away from me," Kagura sneered. "In fact, I'd like for you to go away, right now."  
  
Tohru stayed.  
  
"Go! Go away! I won't let you take him from me!" yelled Kagura, tears forming in her eyes. Tohru didn't move, but she felt like she was going to crumple to the ground. Kyo did his best to stay quiet.  
  
"What did I just say? Are you deaf?!"  
  
"Kagura-san…" Tohru whispered.  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Kagura-san!"  
  
Kagura didn't push the girl off of her as she hugged her. She could feel that Tohru was crying.  
  
"Kagura-san, I never meant to hurt you," Tohru told her. "I never wanted to choose between one and the other. But… I can't simply stop loving Kyo-kun… not after all of this. I went through a lot to keep him with me on that night a few months ago. It was then when I knew that I couldn't go on without him smiling at my side. So many things were running through my head that night… at first, I was trying to think of ways to escape it all. I thought about how I could run away and never speak to anyone again… about how I could give in to Akito-san and let Hatori-san erase my memories… about how I could tell my mother that I gave up on something and try my best to move on…  
  
"And then… I wound up at my mother's grave. I don't remember—I don't know how I ended up there, but I was. My two best friends, Uo-chan and Hana-chan, were out walking when they saw me. Uo-chan told me to let it all go, to give up. Hana-chan knocked her down and told me to go get the thing that was so precious to me. 'You must go!' she told me… I had no idea what to do—they were both fighting. And then I looked up at my mother's grave and thought about how I can never see her smile again.  
  
"That is when it hit me, Kagura-san, that I wouldn't be able to go through life without seeing Kyo-kun… without his smile ever again. I wouldn't be able to go without seeing any of the Souma faces or smiles… I needed to go to him and make things right again. I got up and used my last bit of strength to find him. When I did…"  
  
"I know," Kagura interrupted when Tohru was at a loss for words. "Yu-chan told me what happened with the three of you then."  
  
Tohru's noble speech was full of hesitations and pauses for a sob or two, but it was well heard by both Kagura and Kyo. Kagura held the girl in her arms as she sobbed.  
  
"Kagura-san… please… **please** don't hate me," Tohru pleaded. "I don't want to hurt anyone with my decision."  
  
"Honda-san… I don't think I could ever bring myself to hate you," Kagura told her. Tohru's tears halted. _Kyo-kun was right…_  
  
"I was prepared to let Kyo-kun go… but I had to test you first," Kagura explained, pushing Tohru away from her in order to look her in the face. She had been crying also. "If… if you had done what I said earlier and gave up right then and there, I think I would be able to hate you. But your actions and words tell me that your love for Kyo-kun is as pure as mine is for him, however, yours is much stronger than mine could ever be. It's also more important to him than my love for him. I've known this all along. I knew it on that very night…"  
  
Kyo had kept silent throughout all of this but oddly, he couldn't help himself sadly whisper, "Kagura…"  
  
Kagura smiled.  
  
"I'm happy, Kyo-kun, that you still care enough about me to come here today," she said. "I could tell that you loved her from the very beginning. On Valentine's Day, you only ate my chocolate in order to enjoy hers, right?"  
  
"… Yes," strangely enough, Kyo felt his face heat up under Tohru's gaze. How silly of his face to do that.  
  
"All right then. Kyo-kun, our engagement has been cancelled," said Kagura, regaining her voice. She turned to Tohru and placed her hands on the girl's bare shoulders. "Honda-san… I'm giving him to you. Although you and I both know, I feel I should tell you anyway. If you ever, **ever** hurt him, I'll never forgive you. I'll make it so that you'll **wish** Hatori-san would erase your memories."  
  
"Kagura!" Kyo barked. Kagura shook her head, laughing nervously.  
  
"Ah, I'm sorry, Honda-san! That sort of slipped out!! Ehehe…"  
  
Tohru, having gone pale from the threat, returned the nervous giggle with one of her own. "I promise you that I won't hurt him."  
  
Kagura nodded. "As I thought."  
  
She smiled and hugged Kyo tightly.  
  
"Stay happy, Kyo-kun," she told him. He patted her on the head instead of hugging her back.  
  
"I will as long as you do, too."  
  
They would always share a special bond, stronger than friendship but nothing more. Kagura would always love him and he was okay with that, just as she was okay with the fact that he would never love her in return.  
  
/-/  
  
If only Yuki and Haru's encounter with their "nemesis" had been so easy. For them, they would look back at this day with cold eyes and heavy hearts. It was truly the day where the seams began to split.  
  
Hatori was standing at the door leading to Akito's section of the main house. Yuki and Haru stopped in front of him and waited for him to tell them what to do.  
  
"Hatsuharu is to go see Akito alone."  
  
"What?" asked Haru. Yuki glared at Hatori.  
  
"I'm not leaving him alone with that bastard."  
  
"Yuki, you are to come with me and stay in my house until their meeting has finished. Hatsuharu, you are to go forward and meet with Akito."  
  
"No… you can't do this," Yuki tried to plead with Hatori. Haru kissed Yuki on the cheek. "I'll be fine. I can deal with whatever he has to say to me."  
  
Yuki wanted to grab Haru and run away with him—Haru truly had absolutely no idea what he was in for. _He's not going to _talk_ to you…_ But he went on, anyway, as Hatori escorted Yuki to his quarters.  
  
The first thing Haru thought when he entered the room that it was very dark. He could barely see Akito's outline in the blue-black of the room.  
  
"Akito-san," he spoke softly and bowed down, figuring that would be the best thing to do. Akito had been standing off to the side, his kimono shrugging off of his shoulders.  
  
"So… you are Hatsuharu…" he spoke. His voice was liquid, flowing elegantly.  
  
"Yes," replied Haru after a moment. He was trying to get used to his surroundings although he could not see them in the first place. Akito faced him and practically glided over.  
  
"Stand," he commanded calmly. Haru did as he was told (as he usually did) and Akito reached out to touch his face. Haru flinched at his touch and noticed that he was taller than Akito but felt as though the lanky man towered over him. Akito was caressing his face.  
  
"To call you ugly would be far from the truth…" he said, smiling. Haru wasn't sure if he should thank him or keep quiet so he did the latter of the two, keeping his eyes forward. He felt Akito's body press up against him.  
  
"I'd like to have my way with you right now," Akito told him. Haru didn't react, which was wise on his part, but he couldn't control his own breathing as it quickened. He was getting nervous. Akito suddenly raked his nails against Haru's cheek, drawing blood with his middle finger, the one with the longest nail. Haru winced and Akito bitterly remarked, "Of course, I wouldn't want to get myself dirty… you are nothing more than filth."  
  
He threw him to the side and Haru hit the ground hard, narrowly missing his head on the side of the wall. Akito wiped his fingernail on his kimono without taking his eyes off of the boy.  
  
"What made you think that you… that you could **dare** touch my Yuki?"  
  
"Your Yuki?" Haru repeated. Akito swiftly grabbed his hair like he had down with Tohru and drew his fingernail against Haru's other cheek.  
  
"Of course he is mine! He is all mine… and I won't let you take him from me, you filthy **slut**," he spat, literally, into Haru's face. Boldly, Haru spit back, which earned him a throw into the wall.  
  
"You **fool**…" Akito grinned, grabbing Haru's hair again and smacking his head against the wall. "You stupid **fool**! I've worked too hard to keep Yuki under **my** control! I am the head of this family! You all do what **I** tell you to do! Yuki does what **I** tell him to do!"  
  
He threw Haru over to the middle of the room and Haru could have thanked him. His head hurt so much, but oddly enough, he found he couldn't attack this brutal man back. Why couldn't he have gone black and fought back? Perhaps it was fear that kept him white.  
  
That didn't mean he was going to lose, however.  
  
"Yuki does **not **belong to anyone! I won't let you hurt him anymore!" he yelled. "You can't control us! We're all our own people!"  
  
"Shut up!" yelled Akito as he pinned the boy down and wrapped a cold hand around his neck. "I'll say it again, you rotten piece of dirt… Yuki is **mine**… I have trained him very well to obey **my** commands!"  
  
His tone grew more and more bitter.  
  
"You went behind all of our backs… you've already dirtied him…"  
  
Haru was struggling to breathe. _Ohmygodohmygodyukiohmygodyukiyuki…_  
  
"You fucked him… Shigure heard it and told me."  
  
_Shigure! How the fuck could you?!_  
  
"No one is allowed to touch Yuki but me!! He is mine and mine alone! He is my toy to play with… my toy to break."  
  
_Akito… Akito has already… had sex with Yuki?_ The thought of this… man doing such a thing to Yuki (and the fact that he was being strangled) brought tears to Haru's wide eyes. _That's… that's why he went along with it so well that night… that's how he… oh my god…_  
  
"Ah, you didn't know?" asked Akito and Haru hated himself for letting his weak spot be known. Akito released his grip and allowed Haru to catch his breath as he told him, "Yes… perhaps you were surprised by some of the things he did? You weren't his first… **I** was… I enjoyed him… he's very loud, don't you agree? I liked it better that way, so I made sure that he always was loud."  
  
_No…_ His tears were salty as they crept into his mouth.  
  
"Hehehe… perhaps you should ask him about it some times…" Akito said, staring up to the ceiling with a smile. He then looked back down to Haru, whom he saw as a mere insect.  
  
And kissed him.  
  
On the lips, no less, and he invaded Haru's mouth with his tongue. Haru weakly brought his hands over to push Akito away but found that Akito was firm. Akito then bit down on Haru's lower lip, drawing blood. He dropped Haru back on the ground, Haru's blood fresh on his lips. Haru wiped at his bleeding face for a bit before Akito resumed strangling him, stronger this time—he was really going to kill him this time.  
  
"You… you taste like Yuki… **how dare** you!!"  
  
Haru gave up on trying to push him away and was banging his fists on the ground, hoping someone would be able to hear him and come to his rescue.  
  
"You deserve to die, you horrid slut," Akito told him bitterly, "for tainting my Yuki…"  
  
Soon, his eyelids were becoming heavy and various memories flooded to his head—meeting Yuki by the window that day, seeing him again at every banquet, meeting Tohru, being with Yuki at school, that first kiss in his bed, the night they made love—they did not "fuck," as Akito had put it. Fucking was emotionless, or at least that's what Haru thought.  
  
Just as he swore his life would end, the hands around his neck loosened and then disappeared entirely. He opened his eyes and looked to see Akito coughing into a balled up fist. Haru caught his breath again as Akito continued coughing violently. It was then when Haru noticed blood dribbling down Akito's face from his mouth—it was on his hand, too.  
  
"Ha… Hatori!" called Akito in between coughs. "Hatori!"  
  
Haru was dumbfounded when the door slid to the side and in came Hatori. He knelt down beside Akito and didn't give Haru so much as a look.  
  
_He was… he was standing outside the entire time and didn't do a fucking THING?! He was choking me, you fucking bastard!!_  
  
Haru used that time to get to his feet and run outside the room, down the hall, and outside. It hurt very much to breathe but he had to get to Hatori's house. He had to get to Yuki… Miraculously, he didn't get lost on the way there—perhaps he was too determined to screw up directions. He thrust the door open and saw Yuki by the bookcase, six feet away from Hatori's futon. He heard breathing and turned.  
  
"Haru!" he gasped, frightened. The young man had two gashes, one on each side of his face, his bottom lip was bleeding a bit, and his neck was red as if… as if he had been strangled. Haru quickly reached him and kissed him violently, pressing himself up against Yuki's body, tears streaming down his face. Yuki was too surprised to kiss back and tried his best to wrap his arms around Haru. Haru lowered his head to Yuki's neck where he sobbed softly; Yuki could feel the tears on his neck.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" he wanted to know, his voice weak from his assault.  
  
"Tell you what?"  
  
"That Akito… that he…"  
  
Yuki knew exactly what he was talking about. He felt as though a dagger had just torn his heart out.  
  
"I didn't want you to know… I didn't want anyone to know! But especially not you—"  
  
"That's why you were so submissive the other night… you were used to being dominated. Yuki, if I had known, I—"  
  
"Haru, please. I wanted what happened between the two of us that night just as much as you did. I'm sorry I didn't tell you… I was too ashamed of it."  
  
"Did he rape you?"  
  
"Yes. You could say that. I was never exactly willing."  
  
"… How many times did he do it?!"  
  
Yuki couldn't say. Haru backed away from him, saying, "Don't let me do that to you ever again."  
  
"Do what?" Yuki's confusion was obvious in his voice.  
  
"What we did the other night. I think I let it get too far too fast."  
  
"No," Yuki replied firmly, walking to Haru. He sat the two of them down on Hatori's bed. "No way. Never regret that unless you regret having anything to do with me. What we did was… amazing. Even if it might be too far in some people's eyes, it was what we needed then and there. Others… Akito-san… he can… he can fuck off."  
  
Haru chuckled softly. "Yeah. He can definitely do that."  
  
Yuki hugged Haru to him. "It felt so good… by the way."  
  
Haru blushed at this. "Y-you think so??"  
  
Yuki laughed out loud, saying, "Wow, **I** managed to embarrass **you**? I thought, Mr. Split Personality, that was your job to do to me."  
  
"Yeah, what the hell are you doing stealing my job? I'll go homeless."  
  
Yuki rubbed his back softly. "You'll always have a home with me."  
  
It was a long while before either of them spoke. Haru leaned them both down into the bed so that they were laying side-by-side and said, "I… thought I was going to die back there… He told me that you were his and his alone… that I was filth… that I was a fool… and a **slut**."  
  
Bitterly, he added, "And Shigure overheard us that night on the couch. He told Akito." Yuki was stunned. _Shigure… betrayed us?_  
  
"He kissed me, too," Haru confessed, "and said that I tasted like you and that I deserve to die because I… tainted you… that I infected you."  
  
"You didn't," Yuki told him. "He is the filth. You aren't. He used me… I was nothing in his eyes except for… a fuck buddy, something to play with until he was bored with me."  
  
"He mentioned that he saw you as his toy to play with and then break," Haru said. Yuki sighed.  
  
"I was able to escape before… he was able to do too much breaking."  
  
They were silent again and Haru was kissing Yuki's palms lightly and lovingly up until he heard a voice.  
  
"If either of you two are naked, you can bet that you're washing my sheets."  
  
They sat up abruptly, blushes taking over the better half of their faces. Hatori was outside in the garden outside of the room, looking ominous. Haru glared at the man.  
  
"Hatori—"  
  
"You should go wash up," Hatori interrupted the ox boy, taking off his shoes and stepping up into the room. "I'll attend to your wounds once you've cleaned up."  
  
Haru stood up and walked hastily into the bathroom, saying nothing. Yuki looked past Hatori to see Kyo and Tohru, hand-in-hand, looking happy.  
  
"I suppose things with Kagura-san went well?" he asked. Tohru nodded. Yuki smiled.  
  
"That's good…"  
  
He looked down. _At least they're okay…_  
  
/-/  
  
Later, after Haru had come back into Hatori's room, Tohru and Kyo were standing near the bookcase. Kyo had his back against the bookcase and Tohru has her back against his front. Kyo was doing his best not to touch her with his arms to prevent transforming. He had his chin resting on top of her head and she looked very content and beautiful with him. Yuki was sitting on the bed still, thinking with his head in his hands. Hatori went to fixing up Haru's face immediately.  
  
"You shouldn't have any scars thanks to this ointment… but you must put it on twice a day. Keep the bandages on while bathing and try not to overexert yourself. As for your lip, it wasn't that bad of a cut, so it should heal in no time."  
  
Haru pocketed the tube containing the ointment for his face as Hatori felt the back of his head.  
  
"And you have a bump here."  
  
"You think?" Haru replied sarcastically. Of course he had a bump there; it was where his head collided with the wall when Akito had slammed him into it. The top of his head was throbbing as well from when his hair had been pulled. He understood Tohru much better now.  
  
"You bastard…" Haru whispered to Hatori. "You heard me in there getting killed and you did nothing."  
  
Hatori didn't deny it nor did he explain his actions. His face remained impassive as he addressed all of them by saying, "Akito is dying."  
  
There had been a bird outside chirping a lovely little song. It was the only thing that any of them could hear for a little while before it fluttered off. At last, Yuki swallowed.  
  
"Dying?"  
  
"He has until the first month of next year," Hatori told them. Tohru gasped.  
  
"That's five months from now!" she yelped dreadfully. None of them seemed happy about this fact.  
  
"What are we going to do about finding a new…?" Haru's voice trailed off when he realized that Tohru had no idea what Akito's death meant. He pointed that fact out to Hatori.  
  
"This curse is what keeps us alive," the doctor explained. "Without it, we would die. Akito-san is what keeps the curse alive. Rather, the head of the house is what keeps the curse alive. It drains them of their life in order to keep everyone else living. Eventually, as all things do, the head of the house dies but not before choosing someone to bear a child. That child will, as soon as he or she is born, will be cursed and forced into the position of head of the house.  
  
"It's quite possibly one of the most horrifying things to be. Akito hates all of us and blames us for letting the prior head choose his mother. His mother, after giving birth to him, hated herself for allowing such a child to be born. She didn't hate Akito, but rather, the fact that she willingly put her child through what every head or the house has to go through. She hung herself by the window that Akito sits by everyday."  
  
Tohru was shaking. _How could she kill herself? She should have stayed with Akito-san to make sure that he turned out okay…_  
  
"And the father?" she asked. Hatori answered, "He never showed his face around us again. Apparently the mother only used him to impregnate herself so she could give birth to the new head of the house. He hated her for it."  
  
_How awful… losing one of his parents to suicide and never knowing the other…no wonder he's so cruel to everyone…_  
  
_"They didn't even ask me!"_ Tohru remembered Akito yelling the day she went to him. Now she understood. He was, or rather, his mother was forced into having him in order to keep the rest of them alive. What a terrible price to pay.  
  
"Who do you think he'll choose?" asked Kyo, squeezing Tohru's hand. He knew exactly what she was thinking about, as he did often.  
  
"We're worried… that he'll choose you," Hatori gave it to her straight. Tohru's eyes widened. "M-me!?"  
  
"To hurt you with something else," he finished resentfully, lighting up a cigarette. "He's hoping—if he chooses you, that is—that the same thing will happen to you as his mother. And he's going to try to bring you down with him."  
  
Tohru shook her head. "No! Akito-san wouldn't do that! He won't choose me!"  
  
Hatori looked outside as he took a drag of his cigarette.  
  
"In five months, we'll know."

* * *

So yeah, the bit about the curse and Akito's parents is all my own musings. I hope it makes sense.  
  
Soo! How many people want to kill me? ::gets hit with tomatoes:: Aaaah!! ::wipes eyes:: I promise you that the next chapter will make up for it!  
  
Crappy Preview: Ayame goodness, Kyo/Tohru physical relationship progression IF you know what I mean ::wink::, cute Yuki/Haru scene(s), and… Haru in a dress. BAI! REVIEW! ::kissy face:: MUUUUAAAAAAHHH!! ::bows and runs away:: 


	8. Hebi

Hiya, SakuraBubbles here. So… how many people want to kill me after last chapter? … Whoa—what are you doing with tha-AAAAAA—::is whacked in the head with… a tennis racket::  
  
Haru: There. That's for beating me up. Hello people, this is Haru, doing SB's job. We have—uh, what the—AAAAAH—::is glomped by fangirls/boys::  
  
Yuki: Seeing as Haru is incapable of continuing, I—AHHH—::is glomped as well::  
  
Kyo: ::opens his mouth and is glomped::  
  
Ayame: HAHAHA! It was my job to keep back their fans… I guess I failed. My fans are waiting like good little fans elsewhere, so I musn't keep them waiting. ::looks at SB's body:: Well, she was going to tell you all that we have a very fun chapter ahead! Singing, dancing, modeling, Kyo and Tohru wandering SLIGHTLY into the red light district—my my! If I got into it all, I'd give away the whole chapter! HAHAHA! But! Do you know what the real reason this chapter is great?  
  
Hiro: … I don't care. I don't show up again unti—  
  
Ayame: ME! HAHAHA! I'M in the chapter!! That makes it all that much better!!  
  
Shigure: Aaya, I think you should keep on topic. Remember SB's warning?  
  
Ayame: About my sexiness? Or about yours, Gure-san… ::eyes narrow seductively::  
  
Shigure: Well, between the two… WAIT, no Aaya, I mean about the Japanese lyrics later.  
  
Ayame: Oh yeah. There's a tiny bit of Japanese singing in this chapter and SB refused to translate it until the next Author's Note ((which hopefully won't be as long)). The only reason she has it left in Japanese is because that is how the song is sung.  
  
Shigure: Also, as some of you may know, Dir en Grey is a real band. SB does not own them. Now then, Aaya… we should be off! ::grabs his hand and runs off::

* * *

Chapter Eight: Hebi

  
  
Over the weekend, Kyo was very sweet with Tohru as usual, who was worried greatly about Akito's condition and more so about whether he was going to hurt her like that. Haru and Yuki were careful with each other and Yuki told Haru everything, meaning he told him all of the things Akito had done to him. Haru was always so attentive to his stories and it made Yuki really feel loved. And usually after Yuki told him things like that, they spent a very nice night together. It didn't always lead to sex, but rather pleasant cuddling and sweet words. The two couples were inseparable.  
  
As for Shigure, he had explained to Yuki and Haru that Akito had asked him and he had initially lied but Akito knew. He had no choice but to tell him. When Shigure tried to apologize to them for overhearing them, they said nothing in response, but both blushed incredibly. Shigure had laughed and said, "It's okay, I've had my share of men as well. Speaking of which, I wonder if Aaya is home…" He had then left the two boys sputtering in surprise.  
  
On the thought of Ayame, toward the end of the month, the man invited the gang to hang out at his shop for the day. Apparently, there was going to be some sort of fashion show with models, glamour, and delight to fill the evening. Tohru was excited about the invitation while, of course, Yuki was not.  
  
"Why don't you go with Kyo? I'm sure that stupid cat would love to go see my brother's shop," Yuki tried to persuade Tohru. Kyo hissed at him.  
  
"He's **your** brother!! Why don't you take your boyfriend there out on a date, eh? You guys like this sort of stuff, right?"  
  
Haru wanted to whack him in the face but Yuki said something instead.  
  
"I hated wearing that stupid dress…" he said sourly. Haru blinked.  
  
"You wore a dress?"  
  
Kyo laughed hard at Haru's response and the action earned him a punch to the chest. The cat boy fell over backwards as the rat boy rubbed his knuckle.  
  
"GAH! You bastard! It's the truth—you can't escape it!"  
  
"Say anymore and I won't ever go easy on you ever again… and Haru, pretend he didn't say it," Yuki commanded, a blush hot across his face. Haru wasn't able to reply thanks to Shigure gliding in from the kitchen.  
  
"Aaya invited **all** of us! That means that, as the adult, I decide what we do and don't do! Plus I want to see Aaya."  
  
Memories of what he had said about Ayame earlier flooded back into Yuki and Haru's minds and they said nothing in response though their faces looked… less than happy. Shigure put on his best whimpering face and looked to Tohru.  
  
"Tohru-kun, you wouldn't let an old dog like me suffer thanks to these boys and their selfish ways, would you?"  
  
Although she had stayed with them for two years now, she was not yet immune to Shigure's whining.  
  
"Well, I suppose—"  
  
"Tohru! Come on! Don't listen to him—he's the dog who cried wolf!" snapped Kyo, shaking an angry fist at Shigure. Shigure leaned over to Tohru, putting the back of his hand to his forehead.  
  
"Aaah… see, Tohru-kun? They are so meeeeeeeeean!"  
  
Tohru's eyes shifted between her handsome lovable twitching boyfriend to the inexcusably adorable whimpering Shigure. She then trailed her eyes to Haru because he seemed to be neutral to these kinds of things.  
  
"Hatsuharu-san…"  
  
"I've never been to the shop. I can be your chaperone, I suppose," Haru said. Tohru pointed to herself.  
  
"I need a chaperone?"  
  
"No, he does," Haru pointed a slender finger lazily to Shigure. Kyo groaned.  
  
"I don't want you to go without me. I… I guess I'll **go**…"  
  
Yuki frowned. He wasn't about to sit alone at home, so he looked to Haru. "You **had** said that you wanted a pretty dress to wear as 'Hatsuharu-hime.' I'll come too, in order to help pick one out."  
  
"Y-Yuki!!" Haru yelped, blushing. Shigure's laughter was loud and obnoxious—it even got Kyo to help Haru throw him out of the room.  
  
/-/  
  
"Ah! You all came!" Ayame squealed as the quintet entered the shop. He and Shigure gave each other their usual homoerotic remarks and thumbs up as Kyo hissed loudly to the side and the three other teenagers gave blank stares.  
  
"So you've come to watch the show?" Ayame asked. Mine, dressed in a flight attendant's uniform, appeared at his side.  
  
"Tohru-chan!!" she squealed, running over and hugging the girl tightly. Unfortunately, she hadn't noticed Tohru's broken arm. Tohru kept her pain quiet, much to her discomfort, but was _extremely_ grateful when Mine released her.  
  
"Tohru-chan, it's good to see you!!" She trailed her eyes across the boys' faces and rested on Kyo's. "Is that your boyfriend?"  
  
Tohru blushed and nodded with a weak, "Y-yes…"  
  
"Aww, how cute!! I could tell that the young master and the other boy weren't because they look as though they might be dating each other! Are you?? Gay couples are adorable!"  
  
Yuki blushed and looked at anywhere but Haru. Kyo and Haru shared glances and found equal amusement in their partners' bashfulness. Ayame smiled proudly to Shigure.  
  
"Come, come, let me show you the dresses we're modeling!"  
  
Although it is assured that none of them actually wanted to, they followed behind him and Mine diligently. They were impressed by the neat state of the backroom considering that the shop was holding a show that night. Yuki _sort_ of admired, though he would never say, how neat his brother was. Ayame was always cleaning something or another, something Yuki could never do outside of his own room, thus the reason that the kitchen looked so bad all that time ago. Then again, Shigure was the major cause—he was so damn lazy.  
  
Tohru's eyes lit up at the dresses that Ayame showed them. There were many different kinds and Ayame explained that the store had just bought a new brand name and that was the reasoning for the show in the first place.  
  
"They're all so wonderful!" cheered Tohru. She gazed happily at Kyo. "Don't you think so?"  
  
"Huh? Me?" asked Kyo. He grimaced. "Hell no. This stuff is for girls—all frilly and crap. I hate it." At Tohru's sad face, he freaked out. "N-not to say that you don't look good in dresses!! You looked incredible in that dress Ayame brought home for you earlier! You'd look great in all of these dresses…"  
  
Tohru beamed while the cat boy blushed heatedly. The girl linked her hands with his and continued to look at the dresses. When the group got to the last dress, Haru stared at it.  
  
"This one seems different from the others…"  
  
"Yeah, I guess one of the company's best models is coming tonight so they sent the dress for his use only. None of the other models are allowed to wear it," Ayame replied, braiding his hair. It took them a moment before they realized…  
  
"HIS?!"  
  
"Huh? Oh, yes. This dress is made for a man to wear."  
  
They looked at the dress in an all new light afterward. Only Tohru, Haru, and Shigure said that it still looked beautiful after the discovery. Kyo was too disgusted and Yuki could find no words to say. Mine, who had returned to the front of the store, suddenly ran back.  
  
"Ayame-san! It's horrible! The modeling agency called!" she yelped. "That model is really stuck up! Apparently, he doesn't feel like coming! He said that it's not worth his time!!! What are we going to do? The company will be upset if we don't show off the dress!!!"  
  
Kyo tipped over and banged his head on the wall.  
  
"Why does this feel like a stupid anime or something?"  
  
Tohru looked to him. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Those damn cartoons always have stupid scenarios like this…"  
  
"It's not just anime, regular movies do, too," Shigure put in. Ayame completely ignored them and grabbed Shigure's hand.  
  
"Gure-san! What are your measurements?! I need to fill this dress!!!"  
  
"There's no way I'd fit into that!!"  
  
"But the dress is too short for **me** to wear, Gure-san! Plus, I'm the MC!"  
  
Slowly, they all turned to Yuki. Yuki glared viciously at them.  
  
"No. No, no, **no**."  
  
"Yuki!" yelled Ayame, moving from Shigure to his brother. "This is your chance to step up to the plate in order to close the gap between your older brother and you! We must take **action**!!! Quickly, my young brother! Let me measure you!!!!"  
  
"I said no! I've already been humiliated once," Yuki fumed. Ayame got down on his knees.  
  
"Please, my brother, please… I will do anything! Just put on the dress in tonight's show—"  
  
"These measurements match my measurements…"  
  
All of them looked, wide eyed to Haru seeing that the boy was looking at the dress' tag intently. He looked over to them with a blank face.  
  
"… What?"  
  
"You have **no** idea what you just did…" was all Yuki could do to warn him before Ayame and Mine rushed the ox boy into the dressing room with the dress. The others stared at the curtain separating the room from the door to the dressing room with vacant faces.  
  
"Too late," Kyo muttered and spun around, eager to get the hell out of there, but alas, had to stay. He jumped onto the couch and invited Tohru to sit instead of standing there sputtering like the others.  
  
/-/  
  
"A cow in a dress… now this I **gotta** see…" said Shigure once Ayame announced that Haru was dressed. However, as the older man tried to stand, Yuki jumped in front of him and ran into the other room. Mine allowed him in with eagerness. Haru looked at him.  
  
"I feel… really… really…"  
  
"Stupid? Ashamed? Useless?"  
  
"… Pretty."  
  
Well, Yuki couldn't argue with that. The dress did look nice on Haru, he supposed. Perhaps the platform boots were a bit too much though… The dress itself draped to the floor and was black and lacy—apparently the style was gothic Lolita, so Haru had a dark presence about him. One could easily mistake him for Saki, had his hair not been so short and white. His eyes were lined with thick eyeliner and his bottom lip was done up with black lipstick. He was smiling rather goofily so it was hard to give that stoic Lolita style.  
  
"Though I must admit I feel a little silly."  
  
"Kurame-san, would you mind…?" Yuki asked of Mine. The girl giggled and left the room. Haru blushed as Yuki walked over to him.  
  
"Not that our heights are that different, but… you're taller than me…"  
  
"As it should be. I **am** the dominant one."  
  
Yuki pretended to be appalled and put his hands to his hips. "Haru! Technically I should be the dominant one—I **am** older."  
  
Haru touched Yuki's face with his velvet gloved hand, his eyes narrow and seductive.  
  
"Maybe later—"  
  
He was interrupted by loud laughter coming from Kyo. Haru dropped his hand at his side and turned angrily to Kyo, the bottom of the dress spilling out beautifully.  
  
"What the hell do you want?!"  
  
"You look **ridiculous**!"  
  
"You're just jealous that you don't look this good in a dress!"  
  
He was joking, but Kyo didn't realize this.  
  
"Hahaha, **trust** me," he laughed, "I couldn't give a rat's ass about looking good in dresses. That's for you fags to obsess over."  
  
Yuki sent him flying out the door with a hard kick to the stomach. Haru would have helped but with his boots he might've actually killed him.  
  
/-/  
  
Many people had come to the show and were dazzled by the boy's looks in the dress. The modeling company apologized for their star model's behavior and offered to pay and further publicize Ayame's shop so in the end, everything turned out even better than originally planned. The agency had asked to speak with Haru, but the boy was far too eager to get back into his chaps than to deal with that. Ayame took the agency's card anyway in order to give it to Haru.  
  
Ayame decided to reward Haru for his deed by promising to take them out to an expensive restaurant for dinner that very night. Haru had trouble with removing the makeup so Mine helped him with both that and undressing. Shigure later joked about how cross dressing must be part of the zodiac curse as well, since so many men of the Souma family liked to do so.  
  
"I felt like Totchi…" Haru remarked at dinner as he looked over the menu. Yuki looked to him.  
  
"Totchi?"  
  
"A member of a band I listen to. What are you having for dinner?"  
  
Yuki answered him before thinking, _I really don't know much about what Haru's favorite things are… Man, I'm such a horrible person—I've never even thought to ask…_ So he vowed to learn more about him. He cared about him so much—it really surprised him how little he knew about his own boyfriend. His eyes trailed to Kyo, whom was chatting happily with Tohru. Tohru laughed gaily at something he said and then caught Yuki's eyes. She gave him her wonderful smile and went back to talking with Kyo. _Those two know everything about each other…_ He looked back to Haru and found that he was being watched by said teenager.  
  
"Something wrong?" he asked, smiling.  
  
"Nothing bad really… Haru, what band is it?"  
  
"Band? What?"  
  
"The band that Totchi guy is from… what's it called?"  
  
"Dir en Grey… why? You wanna listen to some of their stuff?"  
  
"Uhh… sure…"  
  
Haru's smile broadened. He knew what Yuki was doing. "The lead singer's name is also Kyo. He's pretty crazy."  
  
Kyo heard his name, not realizing that they weren't actually talking about him in particular.  
  
"What did you just say?"  
  
"I wasn't talking about you, stupid kitten."  
  
"Don't call me a kitten!"  
  
"Oh, so that means you're stupid?"  
  
"Shut up you fat cow!!"  
  
/-/  
  
August turned into September as it normally did and Tohru's arm was at last healed. Although technically Shigure should have sent the boy home, Haru pleaded and begged to be able to stay. Yuki didn't exactly beg or plead, but he did ask permission from Shigure for the boy to continue lodging with them. It was somewhat logical, considering that the school was that much closer to their house than the main house. But where would he sleep?  
  
"I'm fine on the couch," Haru had said. Yuki didn't like having to keep Haru down there all the time, though. So Shigure agreed to let Haru stay in Yuki's room—but not until after making them sign a contract about how they had to promise not to be loud, _simply_ to humiliate them. Luckily, although he threatened to, Shigure decided against hanging it above the door outside.  
  
In the middle of the month, Kyo and Tohru's relationship strengthened and took a step forward. That night, a Friday, Shigure had gone out to visit Ayame, leaving the four of them home alone. Kyo suggested to Tohru that they go out for a bite to eat, for they haven't done so in quite some time.  
  
"Really? That'd be fun!"  
  
"Do you want that damn rat and cow to join us?" he asked, figuring that she would ask. She shook her head and kissed him politely on the lips.  
  
"Nope. I want it to be just you and me tonight."  
  
"You're s-serious?!" Kyo stammered. Tohru nodded. _Well, I'm not about to argue with that…_ he thought. "So… where do you wanna go?"  
  
"How about that restaurant we went to during the summer? On our first date?"  
  
Kyo blushed. He would never get used to that.  
  
"Y-Yeah, that's a good idea. Make sure to grab a jacket 'cause it'll get cold."  
  
Tohru nodded and ran upstairs to her room to grab a jacket (and brush her hair and neaten herself up) as Kyo walked into the kitchen. Haru was at the table reading a book.  
  
"Tohru and I are going out for some food," Kyo told him. Haru didn't look away from the page he was looking at when he replied with, "All right."  
  
"Don't do anything sickening with Yuki while we're gone!!"  
  
/-/  
  
They had a wonderful dinner together. Tohru looked beautiful that night with the moonlight cascading down on her skin, which was pale in contrast to his own. Kyo looked nice as he always did and he was keeping his cool as best he could while ignoring the kittens that had come around the restaurant. Afterwards, they headed back to the house. On the way, they passed a bench.  
  
"Kyo-kun," Tohru halted him. "Let's sit."  
  
Kyo looked at the bench and agreed, carefully putting one arm around her, leaving his other at his side. Tohru sighed happily and rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Tohru… are you mad that I can't hold you?" Kyo suddenly asked. He felt her shake her head against his shoulder. Kyo grunted.  
  
"I am…"  
  
"But it's okay, Kyo-kun. I'd rather not hold you than have a cat in my arms… not to say that I dislike your cat form but I mean I know it can't be fun for you to be a cat and—"  
  
He laughed and brought his fingers to her neck, tickling her. She giggled and playfully swatted at him to stop.  
  
"Ahaha! Ky-Kyo-kun! St-ahahaha!"  
  
He did stop eventually and then brought her down to rest her head in his lap. She smiled up to him and reached up, touching his face delicately.  
  
"Kyo-kun… I love you…"  
  
"I love you, too, Tohru…"  
  
She leaned upward and met her lips with his and he cautiously snuck his arm around her back, his other resting stationary on her stomach. Their kiss deepened and Kyo rubbed his fingers tenderly against her back. Unexpectedly, the hand that was on her stomach trailed up to her breast and squeezed lightly, emitting a squeak from Tohru. She opened her eyes and dropped back down into his lap in surprise. Kyo whipped his hand away from her.  
  
"Aaaah Tohru!! I'm… I'm sorry!!" he almost hollered in his embarrassment, staring at his hand. _Fuck! Why did I have to go and do that?!_  
  
"N-no… it's okay," Tohru heard herself say. She, too, was embarrassed. Too embarrassed even to say that it felt good. Kyo stared at her.  
  
"It can't be okay. It was rude… I grabbed your… your—"  
  
"W-well, we are d-dating, s-so…"  
  
If anyone was around them (Shigure especially), they would be cracking up at the scene. They were both sputtering like broken down cars and stammering at each other. The thought of furthering their relationship hadn't even really occurred to either of them but of course, things went naturally as well.  
  
"That yankee will kill me," Kyo muttered. Tohru smiled and leaned back up, snuggling her head under Kyo's chin. Kyo resumed caressing her back lovingly.  
  
"… What should we do?" he asked after a moment.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"I can't hug you… and it's not as though being able to kiss you isn't enough… but…"  
  
"Kyo-kun… it…"  
  
She had to say it. She pushed all of her embarrassment away, thinking of what her mother would have done in this sort of situation.  
  
"It felt good! I didn't mind it! I was just… surprised!"  
  
_Mom, would you have done this? Is this okay—to let him…? I mean, I want him to… aaah, this really is embarrassing even just to think about!_  
  
Kyo hesitated before doing or saying anything. "It's not like I've ever done this sort of thing before…" His hand rested on her side. "So if it feels bad, slap me, punch me, or hell—hug me. I'll stop."  
  
Tohru giggled. "Okay."  
  
He kissed gently at her neck and the girl found herself shutting her eyes, feeling a particular sensation running through her. The sensation was made even better when Kyo's hand cautiously moved back up to her breast. He cupped it and let his own interest in Tohru's tiny body take over, squeezing softly and running his thumb over the newly hardened area under her shirt. A squeak of pleasure escaped from the girl's lips—this was very new to her, but also to Kyo.  
  
Kyo trailed his hand up to her face.  
  
"Do you want to go home where it's a little warmer?"  
  
Tohru noticed the goose bumps on his arms. It _was_ a breezy September night after all. She sat up.  
  
"Sure!"  
  
Kyo stood up and helped her to her feet gracefully. They headed back toward the house, talking about many different things, hands intertwined. Things were progressing quite nicely in their relationship and both of them promised themselves not to be awkward around the other ever again.  
  
Or at least they would _try._  
  
/-/  
  
Yuki came downstairs after he was done with his homework and headed straight to the kitchen, where he last saw Haru. Upon nearing it, he heard light singing coming from the room.  
  
"_Tokei wa hidari mawari demo…okashita tsumi wa kaereru… saishou de saigo no rikaisha kowashita—_"  
  
Yuki cautiously entered the room and froze at the sight before him. Haru had his headphones on and was cooking the meal for the night. However, the thing that made Yuki's body freeze up was that Haru was bopping around the kitchen, singing loudly to the music on his headphones, using the wooden spoon in his hand as both a drumstick and a microphone. Not to say that his voice wasn't incredible—Yuki had never heard him sing before—only that the scene itself was enough to throw Yuki into a fit of laughter.  
  
"_Boku ni wa yasashisugita no ka naa? Mukashi no torauma wo utsushi… saigo no kimi made kowashita boku wa sado?_"  
  
After Haru started to use the spoon as a guitar, Yuki could no longer hold back said laughter. Haru pulled off his headphones, turning around, blushing wildly.  
  
"Y-Yuki!" He fumbled with the CD player in his pocket to shut off the CD. "I didn't know you… aaaaaaaaah!"  
  
"Haaha," Yuki laughed. "Don't be so embarrassed. It's only me."  
  
"Yeah, but… argh… I don't think I can sing very well."  
  
"Are you kidding?" asked Yuki seriously. He had loved hearing Haru's voice and wanted to hear him sing again. "Please sing some more?"  
  
Haru looked away and went back to cooking. "That was a Dir en Grey song, by the way."  
  
Yuki wrapped his arms around the ox boy, pulling him back into him. He started to tug on the back of Haru's earring with his teeth before inquiring, "What's it called?"  
  
"Cage," answered Haru simply, as though he was trying to ignore Yuki. Yuki trailed his hands down to Haru's hips as if to try to catch his attention. "May I listen? Or could you sing me the song?"  
  
Haru thought a moment. "I don't really want to sing it, but I could buy you the CD…"  
  
"You don't have to buy me the CD, Haru."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Isn't it expensive?"  
  
"Not really…"  
  
"It's fine, just let me borrow it…"  
  
"I **want** to buy you the CD," said Haru firmly. Yuki placed a kiss on the spot of his neck below his ear. "All right. I'll let you buy it for me if you sing for me."  
  
Haru smiled and decided to give in, softly singing the lyrics for the song. Yuki listened contently, resting his chin on Haru's shoulder. Once dinner was ready, the two sat down across from each other, eating happily, talking of many things.  
  
"Oh," Yuki thought aloud suddenly. "Where is that stupid cat and Honda-san?"  
  
"Out on a date. They'll probably be back later tonight… or they may be home soon. I'm not sure," Haru answered with a dazed look on his face. He yawned. "I'm so tired all of a sudden…"  
  
Yuki blinked. "I'll do the dishes if you want."  
  
"No, no, that's fine," Haru began to stand, but Yuki stepped in front of him, determined. "Go lay down on the couch. I'll do the dishes and be with you in a moment."  
  
"… Whatever you say," Haru said before giving him a kiss to the lips. Yuki smiled as he pulled away. "Spicy."  
  
"You, too," Haru grinned, licking his lips and tasting the traces of Yuki's mouth. He headed into the living room as Yuki went into the kitchen.  
  
After a bit, he finished off the dishes and walked into the living room. There was a somewhat loud buzzing noise coming from the couch where Haru lay. He had his headphones on once again; _How can he listen to it so loudly?_  
  
Upon further inspection, Yuki saw that Haru had his hand on his stomach, holding a once erect book. The book was now slumped on its binding in an odd manner. His other arm was draping to the floor. He had fallen asleep waiting for him, or more correctly, reading. Yuki's face brightened at the sight and he walked over, carefully removing the boy's headphones. He then took away the book and put that on the table next to the now silent CD player. He looked up to his face. _He's out for the night…_  
  
He put his hand to the sleeping boy's face and the sleeping boy muttered something about geishas. Yuki smiled and shook his head, which he afterward rested on Haru's chest, closing his eyes and listening to his heartbeat. He matched his breathing to Haru's, feeling very at peace. He fell asleep with a faint smile on his face, his fingers intertwined in Haru's hair. Neither stirred, not even when Kyo and Tohru got home.  
  
Kyo told her that he was going into the kitchen for a glass of milk. When he asked if she wanted any, she politely declined. Tohru took her shoes off and headed into the living room as Kyo went into the kitchen. She smiled and resisted the urge to coo as she saw the two figures on or next to the couch. Kyo appeared next to her, sipping from his glass.  
  
"They're asleep," Tohru whispered. "Should we wake them up and move them?"  
  
"If we woke Yuki up, we'd have to be wearing ten ton armor. He tries to kill anyone who attempts to wake him up," answered Kyo softly. "And Haru simply **can't** be woken. He'll only wake up if he senses danger or something. He must have some sort of internal clock to wake him up in the mornings… stupid cow."  
  
Tohru touched Kyo's hand.  
  
"Okay, let's go upstairs then," she said, smiling. He followed her upstairs and led her to her room.  
  
"Good night, Kyo-kun."  
  
Before she left, Kyo grabbed her hand and softly said her name. She looked around, blushing.  
  
"Y-yes?"  
  
"… You can call me 'Kyo,' you know. You can leave the other part out."  
  
"Kyo…" she sounded out. "Ah, that'll be hard to get used to."  
  
They stared at each other for a bit before Tohru asked, "W-would you like to… come in?"  
  
So much for not being awkward around the other. Kyo blushed, surprised by Tohru's boldness. Though he supposed that she couldn't be naïve and meek forever and he couldn't be scared forever.  
  
He walked quietly into the room, sliding the door shut behind him. He looked around the room.  
  
"You need more stuff in here…"  
  
Tohru giggled. "I don't think so. I like what I have. Uo-chan said that I needed a vanity, but it's not really necessary."  
  
"What did I tell you before? You're allowed to tell us what you want," Kyo reminded her, pulling her close to him but not embracing. Tohru rested her hand on his chest and noticed that her fingers were shaking slightly. What she wanted…  
  
"Kyo-k…. Kyo, what do you want?"  
  
"Me? What do you mean?"  
  
"Is there anything you want right now? You can tell me."  
  
Kyo looked down. One of his hands was resting on her hip and the other on her shoulder, trying to keep her far enough away to prevent from transforming. Both of his hands wanted to touch her. He bit his lower lip. His lips wanted to connect with hers. His tongue twitched inside of his mouth. He wanted to taste her mouth again. Warmth was building up in his lower abdomen. _That_ want would _definitely_ have to wait… but… the others…  
  
"I want to kiss you… and yeah, I want to touch you. B-but not… like… too much touching. I never want to disrespect you. Ever. So, if I ever… do anything bad, I swear, feel free to slap me. Seriously."  
  
Tohru was very red at his words and stood on her tip toes and pecked him on the lips. Kyo faltered. "Eh? Stupid, what was that for?"  
  
"Because I love you!" she chimed happily. "And I **wanted** to do it. And… you should always be able to do what you want."  
  
"I suppose if I have permission then…" said Kyo before pressing his lips to Tohru's. He ran his tongue over her lips in order to tell her to part them. She obliged and as she did, he backed her into the bed. They broke the kiss in order to sit and Kyo leaned down to her, softly pressing her into the bed.  
  
His lips went to her neck and his hand fled to her left breast. He squeezed and rubbed the pleasant mound softly, causing Tohru's breath to quicken. She was unsure of what to do with her hands but she could hardly concentrate on them thanks to the sensations racking her body.  
  
"Ky-Kyooo…" she sighed huskily. He lifted his face in order to look at hers. It was flushed and her eyes were hazily focused on his. Her mouth was open and he couldn't let that chance go by. He softly kissed her and moved his tongue along hers slowly. Tohru was confused when Kyo's hand left her breast but the question that had entered her mind when Kyo slipped his hand under her shirt.  
  
"… This okay?" he asked quietly. She replied, "Yes… is there anything you want me to do?"  
  
Kyo would have blushed but his blood was racing elsewhere.  
  
"N… not really… just—I want you to enjoy this. If there's anything you feel like doing, do it."  
  
She gasped as Kyo's warm hand cupped her still bra-covered breast and threaded her fingers into Kyo's hair. No one had ever… she let out a soft moan.  
  
"Can I take this…" Kyo wanted to know. He wanted to _really_ touch her. Skin to skin… Tohru mumbled her positive response, arching herself into his touch. He sat up and stroked gently at her cheek as his other hand brought her shirt up. Once he had to, he ceased stroking her face and brought the shirt above her head with her help. He kissed her collar bone as his hands carefully wrapped around her body in order to unclasp the most horrid of contraptions: the bra.  
  
He stared down once she had nothing to hide behind, taking a deep breath. She felt a bit awkward under his gaze until he remarked about her beauty and leaned down to kiss her on the lips again. His warm hand covered her soft breast and he caressed it tenderly, loving the way that she was moaning into his mouth. He wanted to hear her, so he moved his lips to her neck and sucked gently. Her moans were soft and pleasurable to the ear. His hand went to her other breast as he felt her run her hand down his back in order to get it under his shirt. She rubbed his skin affectionately.  
  
"Kyo…" she moaned and he felt her trying to press herself up against his hips. He had been straddling her waist with his knees planted firmly into the bed below them, so this action almost drove him insane. He gasped and squeezed her breast harder in surprise. She looked to him.  
  
"I-I didn't mean to—"  
  
"It was what you wanted to do, right?" he interrupted, trailing his lips downward. She froze as he ran his tongue over her erect nipple and afterward, trembled and arched her back again. One hand kept him steady while the other fondled her right breast, pinching softly as his mouth did handiwork on her left one. It was almost too much for Tohru—a few months ago, she could hardly imagine _kissing_ Kyo, let alone…  
  
"Ky… Kyo!" she whimpered, raking her hands through his hair. His tongue on her felt amazing—it practically numbed out the rest of her body. His mouth was so hot against her skin… his hand left her breast in order to rest softly at the side of her neck so he could push her up slightly, allowing him to take more of her into his hungry mouth. Her hips arched against his and Kyo let out a moan at the friction created there.  
  
"Tohru…" he spoke softly, moving up to nibble at her neck. He moved his hips down to hers, grinding softly. She let out a squeak and Kyo did it again, enjoying the sound that she made. She arched her back, whispering his name softly. He did it once more and Tohru shuddered, gripping the bed covers tightly.  
  
"Aa!" was the next thing Tohru let out as Kyo did it a fourth time. By now, his nibbles had turned into wet kisses under her jaw line and his free hand was squeezing her right breast. Kyo started to pant when he was grinding more quickly against her, saying her name softly between moans. He felt her spreading her legs instinctively, giving him more to rub against. Tohru whimpered softly and gripped the back of Kyo's neck. She couldn't even open her eyes.  
  
_Wait…_ Kyo's mind uttered, softly at first, and then the word repeated, louder this time. _Wait!!_ Time seemed to slow to a halt as Kyo took a mental step backwards to look at the situation. There he was, obviously very caught up in his "work" and there Tohru was, obviously enjoying it. He could take this in many different ways… and may regret one or two of those different ways.  
  
So Kyo stopped, hanging over her and still panting. _I can't…_ Tohru looked up at him, cheeks flushed.  
  
"D-did I do something wrong?" she asked innocently. He shook his head and plopped down to the side of her, handing over her shirt.  
  
"I'm getting… too excited and I don't want to lose control. I don't want this to go too far too fast," he told her. She nodded after putting her shirt on. She hugged his arm loosely.  
  
"I understand…"  
  
"… Did I offend you?" Kyo asked softly. She shook her head quickly. "No way! I really liked it…"  
  
He kissed her forehead, then her nose, and then her lips. He gave her a smile and they decided to lie next to each other and talk about miscellaneous things, which was good for Kyo because he had a feeling that it was going to be difficult to get up in his current situation. Tohru soon found herself yawning softly, so Kyo took that time to leave. He stroked her hair as he got up.  
  
"Good night Tohru. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
She smiled and watched him exit her room and when the door was shut, she gently tipped over sideways onto the bed, clutching a pillow tightly. She giggled excitedly, replaying her night's events happily. Although she was very, very tired, she was too giddy to fall asleep just yet.  
  
"Kyo…"

* * *

::has an ice pack to my head:: Jeezus, Haru, fine time to go black.  
  
Haru: I didn't.  
  
Ugh, whatever… anyway, translations:  
  
First lyrics: _Even though the clock turns backwards, the sin I've committed can't be changed. The first and last person who understood me is destroyed._  
  
Second lyrics: _Were you too kind to me? The reflection of a trauma from long ago… I destroyed you, the last one; am I a sadist? _  
  
Doesn't really have anything to do with Haru, he's just singing the song. Go download the song, it rocks. Yes, but another funny chapter coming up on the NEXT EXCITING EPISODE OF DRAGON BALL Z!!! … I mean Never Gray. ::coughs, bows, and runs away:: 


	9. Yamazaru

Hiya, SakuraBubbles here with another fun chapter of Never Gray. Um, slight boysex, only not boysex, seeing as it's not sex. But it contains boys. Just not sex. Sort of. … Nevermind. As always, the warning is: /-/-/-/-/-/. Got it? Good. Moo.

This chapter is sort of dedicated to **Gysecune** because she makes the best Ritsu EVER.

By the way… I hate having Kisa say 'Sissy' but as I want no random fangirl-ish Japanese, I will not be saying 'oneechan'—I HAVE NO CHOICE, I SWEAR. So… yeah.

**Disclaimer**: Yeah.

* * *

Chapter Nine: Yamazaru

Yuki groaned as he woke up. _My back hurts… why am I downstairs?_ He looked up and saw Haru's face; the boy had his eyes open in small slits, smiling. _Oh yeah… I fell asleep on Haru._

"Morning…" Yuki greeted tiredly. Haru widened his eyes again as if to gaze at the boy better.

"Hey."

"How long have you been up?"

"Twenty minutes. That's when Shigure got here with Ayame."

"Twenty minutes? Why didn't you wake me—AYAME?!?!"

Yuki jumped up quickly and turned as the door to the kitchen opened. Ayame, clad in black pants, a black shirt, and a cow hide overcoat, ran in and hugged his little brother.

"Aaaaaaaah! Yuuuki-chan!"

"Let go of me!!!"

Haru stared at the coat, growing pale. "W-what are you wearing?"

"Oh, this old thing? I bought it a while ago—I'm surprised it still fits!" Ayame giggled, twirling. Haru swallowed.

"Is it… real…?"

"Huh? Ah, yes, the finest!"

Yuki put a hand to Haru's head in attempt to calm him down. He glared at Ayame. "How insensitive are you? Why the hell would you wear that?"

"It looks good on me," said Ayame, putting his hands to his mouth to try to look innocent. Yuki grit his teeth.

"Go. Home. Now."

"But what would be the fun in that?" asked Ayame. "Plus, I've invited everyone out to a picnic."

"A picnic?" asked Yuki, his hand still petting Haru's head. Ayame nodded.

"Today is the last day of summer. I figured it'd be fun to celebrate with everyone!"

"Everyone?"

"Tohru-kun and the members of the zodiac!"

Yuki ran this over in his head. "All of us? Out on a picnic?"

"Well, not **all** of us. Just Ritsu-chan, Hiro-chan, Kisa-chan, Momitchi—"

"Don't give me a list—"

"Kagura-chan, Kyonkichi-kun, Yuki-chan, Haa-chan, Tori-san, Gure-san, and myself, of course."

"I dislike you. A lot."

"Tohru-kun is also joining, as I said earlier."

"Are any of her friends coming?"

"It's too risky; Momitchi might get excited…"

"True… where is Honda-san now?"

"In the kitchen, packing our lunches."

Haru chimed in, looking at Ayame's face (to avoid his coat), "Packing for twelve people? I'll go help. That was my reason for being here, anyway."

He got up and headed to the kitchen to see Kyo and Tohru side-by-side, packing lunches. Kyo was teasing her about her "untalented ways of forming rice balls."

"Watch a master at work!"

"That's so awesome!! Let me try!"

"… Feh! That sucks!"

They laughed together. Tohru saw the ox boy at the door. "Ah, Hatsuharu-san!"

"Did you need help with packing the lunches?" he asked, walking over. They had already packed up five lunches. Tohru was just about done with the sixth when she smiled.

"That would be great!"

"And I'll help, too," said a voice. Yuki stood next to Kyo and rolled up his sleeves. "If you think **that** rice ball is good, Honda-san, watch a **real** pro at work…"

"Shut up, you damn rat!" Kyo snapped with a grin. Yuki chuckled softly and went to work.

/-/

"Tooohru-kuuuuun!!!"

"W-wahh! Momiji-kun!!"

_Poof!_

"Ah, you friggin' bunny! Look what you've done!"

"Waaaah! Kyo-kun is making fun of meeeee…"

"Stop your whining!"

Yuki sighed. This day was most certainly going to be eventful. He had a feeling that he, Hatori, Tohru, and Haru were going to have to baby-sit everyone. They sat out on two large blankets and, by Ayame's request, the blankets were put together. The twelve of them sat in the warm sun, cooled by the breeze, eating and laughing, and enjoying each other's company. Not even Hatori could keep from having a little fun.

Tohru had a fun game of Rich Man, Poor Man going with many of the family members. Ritsu was apologizing for everything, even when Hiro spilled some of his own rice and Ritsu was on the complete other side of the blanket.

However, upon seeing the pile baseball gear nestled in Hatori's trunk (Hiro had insisted on bringing it), Kyo almost exploded.

"A game of baseball… nine innings of pure competitive bliss… one team versus another… in other words—"

"Fun!" squealed Momiji, jumping up from his seat on the blanket. He moved to the edge and shoved his feet into his shoes eagerly, completely ignoring Kyo as he yelled, "Not fun! It's a **match**!"

"Oh whatever you stupid cat," said Yuki before royally taking a sip of his tea. "It's just like any other baseball game."

"It's a contest!!"

"Ugh, perhaps you've forgotten who you're trying to beat…"

"Shut up, rat boy! I can beat you just fine!"

"Ooh, bring it on," Yuki exhaled out monotonously and sarcastically. Shigure smiled weakly. "Well, I suppose that Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun won't be on the same team…"

"I'd **never** be on the same team as that girly stinkin' rat!"

Ritsu looked over. "You mean me?"

"Are you a rat?!" Kyo huffed. Ritsu shuddered. "No, but I am girly… oh, oooOOOoo… have I offended you in some way, Kyo-kun?!!"

"N-no—"

But it was too late… "AAAAAAAH! I'M SO SORRY KYO-KUN! I DON'T MEAN TO BE SO OFFENSIVE AND GIRLY IT'S JUST THE WAY I LIKE TO DRESS!! OH NOOOOOOOOoOOOOooooooOO!! I SHALL CUT THE VERY FABRIC THAT I AM WEARING AND SEW ALL NEW CLOTHING THAT IS APROPRIATE TO WEAR IN FRONT OF YOU KYOOooooOOOOooooOOOOO-KUN!!!"

"HOLY SHIT YOU DON'T HAVE TO!!!!"

As Ritsu continued to scream his apologies at Kyo, Ayame extended an arm out to Shigure. "Gure-san! You and I must band together with Tori-san to form a most **wonderful** team… the Mabudachi Team!"

Although he might not have wanted to, Hatori agreed to team with his "fellow Mabudachi," as Shigure put it. As Yuki got up to put his shoes on, Haru tugged on his sleeve.

"Can I be on your team, Yuki?"

Smiling, Yuki replied, "Of course," and helped him up. Kisa had practically attached herself to Tohru since the beginning of the picnic, so naturally, Kisa was on whatever team Tohru was on. Tohru went to Kyo.

"I suppose that Kagura-san will be on our team, too?"

Kyo shook his head. "Uh-uh. Yuki absolutely **won't** have his brother on his team, so we're stuck with him, Shigure, and Hatori. Plus with Kisa, we've got all six players."

"So that leaves Souma-kun with Hatsuharu-san, Kagura-san, Momiji-kun, Hiro-kun, and… Ritsu-san…" said Tohru softly. Kyo sighed.

"Hiro's really good at baseball… but Haru's a slow runner. As for Yuki… he's good at frickin' everything and Kagura will most likely break the bat. I'm not sure about Momiji, but he can't be that good… and Ritsu probably really sucks. Like… probably a lot."

"Fear us! We are the great Mabudachi Team!" Ayame boasted loudly, swinging around the baseball bat like a baton.

"WHAT?! We are **not** the 'Mabudachi Team!'" yelled Kyo. He then threatened to hit the silver haired mass of ego with the very same bat he was prancing around with. Hiro called over to them.

"Hey doofuses, careful with my bat."

"Don't call me a doofus, you doofus! An' who's goin' first?!" Kyo barked.

"Tohru-kun and Kagura are deciding that now," Momiji answered, pointing to the two girls. They were decided with Rock-Paper-Scissors in the middle of the field. With a cheer, Tohru realized that her scissor fingers defeated Kagura's paper fingers, so Kyo's team went first with Kyo at bat.

On the opposing team, Yuki was the pitcher, Haru was umpire (and mocking Kyo's "Mabudachi-ness")), Hiro was shortstop, and Kagura, Ritsu, and Momiji were each at a base, respectively.

"Swiiiiiing!" hollered Ayame from the side. Kyo ignored him, his intense eyes on Yuki. Soon, the ball was thrown. Kyo swung hard and hit the ball past third base, so Momiji ran to retrieve it as Kyo zoomed wildly to first. Once the ball was back to Yuki, Tohru stepped cautiously to home plate.

"Good luck, Tohru," said Haru to her from behind. She thanked him and looked forward to Yuki, standing ready. When he threw, she swung with a mighty cry… and missed. She stared at the bat as if to ask it something.

"Oh!" she was able to exclaim after a short moment. Haru passed the ball back to Yuki swiftly and gave another word of confidence to Tohru.

"It's all right, Tohru! Just swing!" Kyo cheered her on. She blushed a bit and concentrated again. Yuki threw the ball again and she swung, hitting it dead on toward second. Ritsu reached out to catch it, but suddenly shrieked and recoiled into a fetal position on the grass. The ball bounced gaily by him. Kyo stood on the base, looking at him.

"What—are you scared of the ball?"

"N-no… it's just… it was coming so fast!"

Kyo sighed and decided to chuck the ball back to Yuki for the nervous monkey. Kisa stood up at home, looking awkward with the bat.

"You can do it, Kisa," spoke Haru lightly behind her. She gave him a weak smile and then looked to Yuki, awaiting his throw.

Eventually, the team got three outs (one by Kisa because she, too, was a bit scared of the ball, one by Ayame who hadn't made it to second in time, and the last by Kyo thanks to his temper and nearly whacking Haru in the head with the bat) and Yuki's team was up at bat. This time, Kyo was pitcher, Hatori was umpire, Tohru was shortstop, and the others were each at a base.

Yuki stepped to home plate, grinning at Kyo. "Well, come on, you stupid cat. Show me what you've got."

"Damn right! I'll be a better pitcher than you!" yelled the disgruntled cat boy, chucking the ball. Yuki sighed and didn't swing. Hatori caught the ball as Yuki shouted softly, "Ball."

"WHAT?! NO WAY!" Kyo raged, but Hatori confirmed it and he decided not to go against him. Kyo hurled the ball over and once again, Yuki did not swing.

"Ball."

"AAAAARRRGH!!!"

Tohru tried to coax her lovable steaming boyfriend by softly suggesting that he calm down so he can focus on where he needs to throw the ball. He nodded to her and took a deep breath. The red in his face disappeared and he looked back to Yuki, more relaxed this time.

He threw. Yuki yet again did not swing. Hatori caught the ball and said, "Ball."

"WHAT?! But I'm **calm**!!!" yelled Kyo. Tohru remained frazzled. "Uh-uh, Kyo, just try it again!"

So after another deep breath, Kyo tossed the ball. This time, Yuki swung, connected, and was able to make it to second base thanks to Kisa having trouble throwing the ball back. Haru stepped up to bat.

"Bring it on, cat. That is, if you can even throw."

"I **can** throw, dammit!" Kyo huffed. After a breath, he chucked the ball at Haru. Haru swung and hit the ball too far to the right. Kyo grinned and called, "Foul."

"Shut up…"

"What? I'm just callin' the facts, stupid cow."

The next time, Haru's swing connected, but Shigure caught it and Haru was out. He sadly trudged back to the others, where Kagura gave him a pat on the shoulder on her way to bat.

While she did not break the bat, she was able to make it to second, thus bringing Yuki home. Kyo was fuming until he realized that Ritsu was up at bat next. He grinned. _Piece of cake…_

Ritsu awkwardly stood at the plate, fretting over his fear of the ball and almost tipping over with his nervousness. Hatori tried to calm the cross dresser, but it was no use—Ritsu was still panicky.

As the ball came toward him, Ritsu shrieked and swung the bat as if trying to beat on an attacker, closing his worried eyes. When he opened them, he saw that everyone was looking at a small object flying quickly in the sky. Ritsu blinked.

"I-… I-Is that the ball?"

"Yep," was Hatori's simple reply. Ritsu stared and then started to scream, "I'M SORRY THAT THE BALL IS GOING AWAY! WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ANOTHER BALL TO USE INSTEAD SO NOW WE HAVE NO BALL AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOoooooOOO!! I WILL BECOME THE BALL IN PLACE—"

"Ri-chan!!" yelled Ayame, stomping his foot. Ritsu looked over eagerly and Ayame continued, "You just hit a home run! You gained a bunch of points for your team!!"

Kyo was staring at the sky (the ball was out of sight) in disbelief. "Well fuck me sideways."

"Well, I suppose… if we have no ball left…" started Tohru awkwardly. "I suppose that means… that Souma-kun and his team win…"

Kagura squealed happily, screaming about her victory and pulled her teammates into her arms and squeezed tightly. Kyo sighed.

"Another victory for the rat…"

"So… it's good that I made the ball go far, far away?" asked Ritsu, puzzled. Hatori nodded. "Yes. You just won."

"I won? … I'm… I'm good at something? Something manly?"

Ayame put an arm around Ritsu's shoulders. "Very good, Ri-chan! Such power!! I'm sad about my loss, but you did magnificently!"

Shigure gave his compliments as well. Hiro, meanwhile, was glaring at the bat.

"I never got to play…"

/-/

Around seven o'clock, Shigure tugged on Tohru's sleeve.

"Tohru-kun, would it be all right if Haa-san, Aaya, and I went out for drinks?" he asked, hunching slightly and putting his hands together. Tohru blinked.

"Why ask me?"

"Because Haa-san is almost everyone's ride home…"

"Waah?!"

"Could you baby sit? PPPPLLLEEEAAASSSEEE???" Shigure was suddenly on his knees, hands clasped together. Yuki appeared at Tohru's side.

"Don't listen, Honda-san…"

"But…"

"Yuki-kun," started Shigure, "the three of us have something very important to discuss. We'll be back late tonight, depending on how the conversation goes."

"Conversation?" asked Tohru.

"About Akito-san and his health," said Hatori, walking up to them. Ayame was bobbing next to him. Yuki looked down, hiding his eyes with his bangs. Tohru gazed at him for a moment.

"Has his health worsened?"

"He can still move around, but it weakens him to do so," Hatori replied, taking out a cigarette. He offered one to Shigure, who gladly accepted. "He knows that it weakens him…" He lit up the cigarette and took a long drag. "… but it seems that even with this knowledge, he moves around more. It's as if…"

"He's trying to speed the process," finished Yuki weakly. His hand was shaking. Ayame put his hands on his brother's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Yu-chan," he said. Yuki glared at him but said nothing. He was grateful, at least, that his brother cared enough to try to calm him.

"But there are other things we need to discuss," said Hatori, resting his hands at his sides, the cigarette's smoke billowing out in thin ribbons. "So, Tohru-kun, if you wouldn't mind…"

"Ah, not at all," Tohru replied and bowed. "I'll have Souma-kun, Kyo, Hatsuharu-san, Kagura-san, and Ritsu-san to help out…"

"I'm sure Momiji can help, too," said Hatori. With no extra words, the three older men left the nine others behind. Tohru looked to Yuki and chuckled nervously.

/-/

It wasn't too bad back at the house with everyone. Kisa, Kagura, and Tohru were up in Tohru's room chatting when Hiro came in.

"Hey, is there any ice cream in this dump?"

"Ah, we should have some in the freezer…"

"Go get some for me then."

"Hiro-kun," started Kisa. "Why do you want to make Sissy get it for you? You were just downstairs…"

"I don't feel like it," Hiro said, not looking at her. Tohru stood.

"Ah, that's all right, I'll go get some."

She and Hiro headed downstairs and Kisa followed obediently. Kagura felt left out so she, too, followed. As they entered the kitchen, they found Ritsu. Tohru smiled.

"Ah, Ritsu-san—"

"I'M SORRY!" started Ritsu, dropping his spoon to the floor. "I AM SORRY THAT I'M TAKING UP PRECIOUS SPACE! I'M SORRY THAT I AM EATING YOUR FOOD! I APOLOGIZE TO THE WORLD FOR MY AWFUL BEHAVIOR!!! I AM SOOOO SORRY! I'M SO SORRY TO BE EATING AT THE COUNTER SO RUDELY!! AHHH I'M SOOOORRRRYYYYYY!!!!"

Kagura had covered her ears but that wasn't enough. She crossed the room over to Ritsu and punched him hard on the back of the head. He stopped his wailing and dropped to the floor, forced to study his spoon. Tohru started to freak out.

"Aaah! Ri-Ri… Kagura-san… Ritsu-s… ahh!"

"It's fine. I have my ways of dealing with him, just like Shii-chan," Kagura smiled as if she had given the cross dresser a flower. Tohru nervously chuckled before going to the fridge and getting out two cartons of ice cream, one vanilla, the other chocolate. As she got out the ice cream scooper, she felt a small tug on her shirt. She looked down to see Kisa.

"… Could I… have some, too?"

"Sure! Kagura-san?"

"Yeah, sure."

Just then, Momiji came in, skipping happily, contrasting Kyo, who also came in, but looked very angry.

"Get back here!"

"Noooo, Kyon-Kyon! I knew I heard Tohru-kun!"

"Don't call me that you damned rabbit!"

"Kyo-kun," Kagura spoke spookily. "Are… you being mean… to poor Momiji-kun?"

Before Kyo could answer, Kagura grabbed his shirt and shook him.

"WHY KYO-KUN, WHY? I THOUGHT YOU WERE A BETTER PERSON THAN THAT ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU'RE SO CLOSE WITH TOHRU-CHAN NOW! WHERE HAVE I GONE WRONG IN TEACHING YOU TO BE A GENTLEMAN?! TOHRU-CHAN SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH SUCH A VULGAR BOYFRIEND!!!"

"AAAAAAH KAGURA!!!" shouted Kyo after she was finished shaking him. Tohru hesitated and looked to Momiji.

"M-Momiji-kun! Would you like some ice cream, too?" she asked cautiously. Kagura averted her attention to her and Kyo used the distraction to slink off to the other side of the room. Momiji brightened.

"Yes, please!! Do you have strawberry ice cream?"

"Oh, I wish!" exclaimed Tohru as she handed the second bowl of ice cream out to Kisa. Now that the tiger girl had her ice cream, Hiro began to eat his. "We have vanilla and chocolate."

"Do you have any strawberries in the refrigerator?" asked Momiji, looking to said appliance.

"Um…" she pondered for a moment and then smiled. "Yes, I think we do!"

"Yay! Then… then can I have vanilla ice cream with strawberries mixed in? I'll cut the strawberries myself…" Momiji wanted to know.

"Yes, of course," said Tohru cheerfully. Kyo came over.

"Need help?"

"Not really, thanks. Do you think Souma-kun and Hatsuharu-san want any?"

Kyo looked to the door he had used to enter.

"Ah… they had been right behind me… hey, Momiji, where the hell is that damn rat and stupid cow?"

"I dunno!"

"Weird… I'll go check for them."

Kyo exited the room and padded down the hallway into the living room… where no one was to be found. He blinked.

"'Right behind you,' they say! Where the hell did those two bastards go?"

/-/

"Hah! Nothing beats playing hooky!" Haru shouted happily. He jogged behind Yuki, trying to catch up. "Yuki, not so fast!"

"Ah, sorry…" Yuki slowed his run to a jog and then a walk as Haru caught up, walking beside him, panting.

"Gah… remember? I'm the slow, stupid ox," Haru reminded him, grinning. Yuki, through panting, replied, "You're not slow, nor are you stupid. … You're also not an ox, you're a cow."

"Agh, you bastard!"

Yuki laughed and stopped walking, gesturing toward a crumbled pile of dirt. Haru looked at it and Yuki explained, "This is the landslide that caused Honda-san to come live with us."

"Oh… wow, I'm surprised you knew the way over here…"

"I come here from time to time. After that fight at the end of July with Kyo—the one when Honda-san broke her arm—I saw Kyo here a lot. He hadn't been here when the landslide occurred, so I was surprised to see him there."

Haru crossed his arms over his chest; it had gradually gotten colder and he figured that this might help.

"Why was he here?" he wanted to know. Yuki shook his head.

"I never asked. At the time I was too angry to speak with him." He shivered. "Maybe we should head back."

Haru slid his coat off of his shoulders and arms, thrusting it in Yuki's direction once he had it off. Yuki blinked.

"Oh, no—then you would be cold…"

"I have a long sleeved turtleneck on."

"I have a long sleeved shirt on, too, but I'm still cold. Therefore, you're going to be cold without this."

"I don't care."

Haru bobbed the coat up and down before him. Yuki sighed and put it on; it was already warm with Haru's pleasant body heat. He sniffed and became intoxicated with Haru's fine scent. He reached out to Haru and pulled the older boy closer to him. Haru reached into the coat in order to keep his arms warm and to hug Yuki closer to him.

"Haru…"

"Yeah?"

Yuki blushed. _I said that out loud?_

"Aah… I hadn't meant to… sigh… your name… aaah, how embarrassing."

"That's okay," Haru chuckled, kissing Yuki's ear lightly so that it was a mere brush of his lips. Yuki breathed in Haru's aroma and smiled, feeling heat trail through his body.

"You smell so nice…"

"That kitten said that I smelled like a barn."

"Well, you smell like a very **clean** barn."

Haru chuckled again. "You smell like a certain spice… it's very fine."

Yuki found it odd that he was blushing but then again, he always did when they shared moments like this. He was fond of these times and thought of them when he daydreamed at school.

"… I'm so glad that you didn't give up on me…"

Haru rubbed his fingers along Yuki's back softly. "I'm glad that you gave me a chance."

Yuki didn't reply at first. He slid his eyes shut, rested his head on top of Haru's shoulder, and tightened his arms around Haru's body.

"I used to be so bitter, huh? … This one girl once told me that I reject people… I knew that she was right back then, but I suppose… I don't think I'm so bad now."

"Well, you **do** have your arms around me," Haru informed him.

"True…"

"And," he broke his sentence to kiss his neck, "you're allowing," he kissed his ear, "me to," his cheek, "kiss you," the side of his mouth, "all over."

Yuki grinned.

"And I'm kissing you right back." /-/-/-/-/-/

He did just that and Haru gladly invited him into his mouth. The next thing Haru knew, he was up against a nearby tree with Yuki grinding against him.

"Y-Yuki," Haru stammered out.

"It's been a long time since… we've…" Yuki trailed off, occupying his lips with Haru's neck instead.

"We can't… not out here… and everyone's at the house…" Haru regretfully told him, resisting the urge to jump him right then and there. Yuki sighed.

"No fair… well… we don't have to go all the way…"

Haru was surprised by the lust in Yuki's eyes. He had never seen him like this. But as Yuki grinded his clothed arousal against Haru's thigh, he found that he didn't really mind after all. When their heats collided with each other, Yuki gasped and Haru let out a moan. He gripped Yuki's back and mimicked Yuki's actions, arching out his hips to clash with Yuki's. _Ama… amazing…_ even Haru's thoughts were jumbled and broken up.

"Nnng…" Haru panted, sliding his hands down Yuki's back. They both needed release and needed it _now_. Yuki could barely speak—everything came out in cracked moans, including the few times he managed to gasp out Haru's name. He sucked gently on one of Haru's earrings, tugging lightly. Haru's hands found Yuki's backside and pushed it toward him, thus pushing their hips closer.

"Aaah!" Yuki gasped at this action. He shivered and felt as though he was going to fall over had it not been for Haru's strong arms around him. He arched his back, throwing his head back.

"Ahhh… Ha-aaru…" he whimpered. He froze for a moment but his fingers were digging into Haru's skin. After this short moment, he shuddered with a long cry and Haru winced and loosened his grip on Yuki for just a bit before hugging him close. He slowly brought them both to the ground. They sat there, sweating and panting. _We came in unison…_ Haru blushed and realized how silly his discovery was. Yuki nuzzled his head against Haru's neck.

"Aaah… that was…" /-/-/-/-/-/

"Fun," Haru finished for him. Yuki struggled to chuckle at this but it ended up being a soft "hhheh…" instead. They sat like that, talking only a bit. Both still felt empty, but it was understandable. They couldn't finish what they had started and therefore had to content themselves with that.

Haru shifted and said, "Perhaps we should go back…"

Yuki nodded and carefully got up. He shivered as he discovered that his boxers were a bit… sticky, but based on the uncomfortable look on Haru's face, he saw that he shared the same problem. ((sorry haha))

Upon arriving back at the house, they saw Tohru, Momiji, Kisa, and Hiro sitting on the back porch, their legs dangling to the dirt below them. Kagura was standing behind them all, back resting against the wall of the house. They were all eating ice cream. Tohru waved to the two of them.

"Welcome back."

"Where's that stupid cat?" asked Yuki, his eyes scanning.

"Trying to deal with Ri-chan," answered Kagura before sliding some ice cream into her mouth.

"Oh… really? What's he apologizing for now?"

"There wasn't enough ice cream for both Kyo-kun and Tohru," answered Momiji. "Ri-chan decided that it was his fault. He didn't even eat any ice cream."

Yuki shook his head dismissively and looked to Tohru's ice cream. Haru brushed past him and walked into the house with one word of explanation, "Bath."

"Did Kyo let you have the last of the ice cream?" Yuki wanted to know of Tohru. She nodded, blushing. Yuki smiled. He had always wanted to walk in Kyo's shoes, if at least for one day. He sighed and also went inside, hoping desperately to change out of his clothes. They were _really_ irritating him now. Ritsu suddenly stopped in front of him and shrieked.

"AHHH! YU-CHAN! I'M SORRY! I GOT IN YOUR WAY AND YOU HAVE TO STOP TO WAIT FOR ME TO MOVE!"

"Stop apologizing and just move then!"

"I'M SORRY THAT I'M NOT SMARTER…"

His voice trailed off and Yuki did his best to ignore the weeping cross dresser.

"Gure-saaaaan to the rescue!!" yelled Shigure, sliding the door open suddenly. He reached and poked Ritsu in the side which caused the man to slither to the ground and stop apologizing. Shigure waved to Yuki.

"Ah, Yuuuki-kun!"

"Just how drunk are you?" asked Yuki as Shigure threw his arms around the young man.

"I swear to drunk I'm not god," the dog replied. Yuki socked him in the head and the man fell to the ground, laughing. Hatori came in and gave Shigure a look.

"Get off the floor, mutt."

"Awww… Haa-san, don't call me that."

"Then stop acting like one." He gazed at Yuki. "Where is Hatsuharu?"

Yuki pondered his question before realizing that he still had the coat on!! He blushed and found that the wall was much more interesting than Hatori's face.

"I-in the bath."

"And you have his coat…"

"Aa… Aah—"

He backed up and bumped into Tohru, who had just come in to clean up the empty ice cream bowls. There was the familiar _POOF!_ and billow of smoke and Yuki was human no longer. As a rat, Yuki scuttled around in Haru's coat wildly, finding that he was stuck under it. It was so big and he was just too small! _This is NOT AT ALL FUN…_

When he heard Tohru's surprised voice, he changed back and was luckily hidden under the mass of clothes. He poked his head out from where he finally found air and breathed.

"Aaaah!!"

Tohru tried not to laugh but found that it was impossible not to. Shigure and Ritsu laughed (though it is assured that the latter of the two apologized relentlessly afterwards) as Yuki did his best to put his clothes on without exposing himself too much. Afterwards, he ran off toward the bath for some solitude, or, rather, some comforting at least, when he remembered Haru was in the bath already. He smiled and joined him quickly.

/-/

It was around midnight when Hatori took everyone back to the main house. Yuki and Haru were already asleep in their room and Tohru was cleaning up the kitchen. She yawned as she shuffled over to the sink to wash the dishes. She wobbled tiredly as she picked up a dish.

Suddenly, there was a lot of warmth behind her and something steadying her shaking hands.

"You seem really tired," said Kyo's familiar voice. Tohru blushed at how close he really was; she was surprised that he hadn't transformed.

"I am… but I can finish the dishes, no problem," she told him, straightening. Kyo sighed.

"You wash, I dry," he informed her softly, taking a dishtowel in his hand as he stepped to the side. She looked up to him.

"Kyo…"

"Yeah?"

"… I'm sorry that we weren't really able to have time to ourselves today…"

"We're alone right now, aren't we?"

Tohru put down the dish she was washing and turned off the faucet. Kyo blinked.

"Wha—"

He hushed as Tohru's lips connected with his own. He held her arms steady at her sides and rubbed them thoughtfully, wishing desperately that he could hold her. They parted and Kyo ran his eyes over Tohru's face, the both of them blushing.

"Maybe you are too tired, you can't think straight, eh?" he asked. Tohru shook her head.

"I'm fine… I just… I really wish I had spent more time with you…"

Kyo reached out and stroked her hair. "It's not like I'm that entertaining…"

His hand found her shoulder and she sighed.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," came an interruption. Kyo's hand retreated from Tohru's shoulder as if it was made out of leeks. They stared at the door to see Ayame, drunk. Kyo stomped over, yelling at the snake for so many different things, but the most important thing of all, interrupting his time with Tohru. Up until he finally fell asleep that night, he sulked.

* * *

Hm. Next chapter is probably going to be the thing that **really** gets me killed. Yup yup. It almost made me cry when I read it over while listening to the full version of the opening theme song (in Japanese of course). Yup yup. Angst and worse. Yup yup. ::bows and runs away:: 


	10. Keep Smiling

Hiya! SakuraBubbles here.

Ahh… here we are. Chapter ten. We've come a long way, haven't we? Thank you all so much for the continued support.

Sorry to the Kyo/Tohru fans, really. As I've said, this fic is more centered toward Yuki/Haru because there's a serious lack of those. But there will be some Kyo/Tohru to come, I promise, especially considering the events in this chapter.

**Disclaimer**: … I OWN EVERYTHING!! Except for Fruits Basket, of course.

* * *

Chapter Ten: Keep Smiling

Tohru was washing off some fruit in the morning when Shigure walked in, holding his head.

"Uuugh… Tohru-kun, could you get me an ice pack or something?"

Tohru turned. "You look terrible."

"Thank you."

"Ah! N-no I meant—"

"Just get me the ice pack…"

Tohru, although flustered, went to the freezer and reached inside. She pulled out an ice pack and handed it to Shigure. "Did Ayame-san sleep here last night after Hatori-san took everyone home?"

"Yes, he did. He's still asleep," Shigure replied, putting the ice pack to the side of his head. "Haa-san is heading back soon."

Tohru blinked. "Why's that?"

"To pick up everyone's favorite snake."

Tohru giggled softly and went back to washing off the fruits. Shigure turned to see a half-awake Yuki.

"Ah, good morning Yuki-kun."

Yuki looked up at him, his eyes hazy. "Where did the… potatoes go?"

Shigure held back laughter and answered, "They've run off."

"Which way did they go?" asked Yuki tiredly.

"They ran behind the refrigerator."

Yuki walked over to the appliance as Tohru watched in awe. He knelt down and seemed to fall asleep again as he did, for he rested his head on the door of the refrigerator and stayed still for a moment.

When Shigure started to laugh loudly, Yuki woke up and looked around. "Why am I…?"

"You were looking for potatoes," Tohru answered him truthfully, smiling as she giggled. He stood up and glared at the doorway as a flash of gray kimono named Shigure disappeared down the hall. He gazed at Tohru, rubbing the back of his head.

"Good morning…"

"Good morning, Souma-kun. Breakfast will be ready in a bit—"

She stopped and faltered as she heard yelling in the other room. Yuki sighed.

"Stupid cat…"

The two of them headed into the living room to see Kyo yelling at Haru, the younger of the two on the couch, trying to read. Kyo was standing over him.

"I need to write a report you idiot! Get off the couch!!"

"You can write the report somewhere else. I'm reading."

"You're taking up the whole couch you stupid cow! No one else can even sit down! Put your feet on the floor and sit like a normal person!"

"No."

Kyo noticed Yuki and pointed at him. "Hey you damn rat, tell your fucking boyfriend to move it!"

Yuki sighed. "Go find a different place to sit, stupid cat."

"WHAT?! Why should I have to go somewhere else?! **He's** the one being selfish!" Kyo shouted. Tohru reached out.

"Ah, Hatsuharu-san, would you mind just sitting up, please?" she asked, her eyebrows curved in worry. She didn't want Haru turning black but she also didn't want Kyo to get mad. Haru looked at her blankly.

"But Tohru, I was here first…"

"That makes no difference!" yelled Kyo.

"Stop the yelling!" came a voice. Shigure slid the door to his study open and waved his ice pack menacingly at them. "I have a hangover! It hurts! Shut up!"

Kyo silenced himself though inwardly growled. Yuki shook his head, not amused by either of their behavior. Tohru wasn't sure what to do. Haru went back to reading. For a moment it was silent. And then Ayame came downstairs and ruined the silence.

"Gooood morniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!"

"AAYA! SHUT UP!"

"Ohhhh Gure-san! Does your head hurt? Mine, amazingly, doesn't!"

"Aaaaaaaaargh…"

/-/

Around lunchtime, Hatori had a private conversation between Ayame, Shigure, and himself. The four teenagers were in the dining room, eating when the three adults came in, stone faced. Ayame's eyes were on Tohru and he sat next to her.

"Is lunch good, Tohru-kun?"

She could only reply with a thoughtful nod because she had just taken a bite and couldn't very well speak with a mouth full. Yuki looked at Hatori.

"You have something to tell us, right? What's going on?"

"Akito-san… it's about his condition," the doctor replied. Haru's chopsticks froze in midair as he heard the name of the one person he loathed for both what he had done to Yuki and Haru himself. Kyo scoffed.

"What's up with him?"

"He hasn't been taking the medicine I prescribed him," Hatori answered. "And because of that, his condition has worsened."

Tohru's eyes widened. "Will he be okay?"

"He has less time to live now. If he keeps this up, he'll die sometime during November," Hatori said, running his hand through his hair. It dropped down and through those bangs, he looked at Tohru's face. "As for now, if he starts taking his medication again, he has until the end of this year."

"That would be ironic," Kyo muttered. "Dying before the banquet."

"What of the… next head?" asked Yuki, his voice shaking. _Don't say it…_ Hatori hesitated and Tohru gasped as she felt Ayame's hand on her back. She stared forward blankly as she figured it out.

"He… he's choosing me to be the…?" her voice trailed off in disbelief. She didn't even blink. Kyo punched the floor, glaring at Hatori.

"Tell me it isn't true, you bastard!" he yelled. Hatori looked away to Shigure. Kyo reiterated his question louder, only his voice was somehow weaker. Yuki stared at his half eaten meal, unsure of what to do.

"Akito-san has made it official," said Hatori dryly. "He's decided to make Tohru be the mother of the next head of the house."

Shigure scratched the side of his head as Kyo lashed out, punching the floor again and leaving the room in a rush. He slid the door shut so hard that it bounced off the door frame and glided back a bit. Yuki's eyes followed him out and then trailed to Tohru. "Honda-san…"

No one had noticed Haru's previous silence until he finally spoke. With his gaze to the floor, he said, "Akito … he only cares about hurting people. What kind of pleasure can you get from seeing someone else's pain?" He raised his eyes to Hatori. "Is there nothing else we can do?"

"Not unless Akito changes his mind," replied Hatori. Tohru was silent but Ayame, under his hand, could feel that she was shaking. He never thought himself good at comforting people, but he did what he could and rubbed her back lightly.

/-/

Kyo spent the rest of the day up on the roof where no one dared to bother him. Yuki holed himself up in his room—the same goes for Tohru—and Haru spent his time outside, gazing up to the clouds with his headphones blasting music loudly. The three adults stayed in the dining room, talking about the misfortune, wondering about what Tohru was going to do.

"It's obvious," said Ayame bitterly, "that Akito's trying once again to get her away from the Souma family. He's still giving her a way out—she could escape this by having Tori-san erase her memories. It figures that this is still his goal."

"And these kids are all shaken up…" said Shigure, gesturing with his hands. "It's understandable. Yuki-kun and Haa-kun are both afraid of Akito-san… and Kyo-kun just hates him. Tohru-kun is probably…"

Ayame looked up. "Haa-chan is afraid of Akito-san? Why?"

Hatori swallowed some tea before answering, "He was almost killed by him."

"That's terrible! What happened?!"

"He was being beat up and yelled at for 'taking Yuki away' and 'dirtying him.' He would have been strangled to death had it not been for Akito's sudden coughs. He started to get really sick then. If he hadn't gotten so worked up, he'd have been fine."

"I think that's called karma," said Ayame, braiding his hair. Shigure noticed that Hatori left out the part that he was going to let Haru die but didn't bother asking him about it. He knew exactly what he would say. _When will your snow ever melt, Haa-san? _

"What are we going to do, though? We can't let him do this to Tohru-kun," said Ayame. It was then when Yuki came into the room, looking down at Hatori.

"Hatori… I have an idea."

Shigure stood as he noticed something beside Yuki. A suitcase. Ayame saw it, too. "Ah, brother? Where are you going?"

"To the main house to make a deal with Akito," Yuki replied. Hatori looked at the youth.

"Have you been eavesdropping?"

"I've heard you talking since Ayame mentioned Akito's true goal. …Hatori… why didn't you help Haru that time?"

Shigure gazed away. Apparently Yuki didn't know Hatori as well as he did. Ayame blinked.

"'That time?'"

"When Haru was being strangled to death, you did nothing. Why?" asked Yuki fiercely. Hatori replied without a hint of kindness, "Because Akito had planned to kill him that day anyway."

"So you knowingly sent him to his grave?!"

"He didn't die."

"But… he was going to?"

"Akito's orders."

Yuki felt rage boiling up inside of him. Haru had told him that Hatori had been outside Akito's room, listening to him die and did nothing. Yuki had always looked up to Hatori and the fact that he almost let Haru…

"… Listen… I want to make a deal with Akito. I'm going to protect Honda-san like she protects us."

"What are you planning?" asked Shigure.

"I want to persuade him to choose some other girl to be the next mother. I figure if I stay with him until he dies and… do whatever he wants like I used to… he'll choose someone else."

"That's your deal? Yeah right," Shigure snapped. "Akito-san will never go for it."

"Yes he will. It's **me**, his pet that ran away."

Shigure looked at him long and hard, debating within himself. Eventually, he sighed and glanced away. Yuki stared at Hatori.

"Take me back to the main house with you tonight. I'm all packed."

"Don't you want to say goodbye?" asked Ayame. He was still baffled by everything he had just learned.

"… No," Yuki said, his eyes trailing to the side, not resting on anything in particular. They narrowed. "I'd rather just leave."

Shigure shook his head, loudly saying, "No way! You're not making me tell Kyo-kun, Tohru-kun, and Haa-kun. I've had enough to deal with. You can tell them yourself."

And without another word, the novelist angrily walked out of the room. His anger was understandable—he still had a hangover and he was also dreadfully worried about Yuki and what his actions would do to him and the others in the long run.

"Fine, I will tell them myself," Yuki sighed, getting up. Ayame stood and reached for his brother. His eyes were shaking.

"Wait! Yuki," he said softly. "Please don't do this. We'll find another way—we promise."

Yuki gave him a faint smile and replied, "There isn't another way."

As he left, Ayame let his hands drop to his sides. He sadly went to his knees and said, "I really can't do anything… I'm useless as both a person and an older brother…"

Hatori said nothing.

/-/

Yuki decided that it would be best to tell Kyo first as he would probably get the least amount of reactions from his feline rival. How wrong he was. He knew that this would be hard to tell everyone his decision. Kyo turned as he heard the ladder clack meaning that someone was coming up.

"Don't look so disappointed," Yuki said in response to Kyo's face.

"What the hell do you want?" Kyo sneered, angry about the disturbance. Yuki settled down near—never next to—Kyo, bringing his knees up to his chest. Kyo watched him out of the corner of his eye. _He's acting weird…_

"I have something… I have a way to save Honda-san," Yuki told him, his eyes on the city. Kyo's face brightened.

"Really? What is it?"

"A trade of sorts. Me for Honda-san."

Kyo didn't understand right away. Yuki hadn't expected him to.

"… Wha?"

"Akito sees me as a runaway slave and will do just about anything to get me back," Yuki explained. "I figure that I can offer myself to him in exchange for keeping Honda-san safe."

"Slave? Offer yourself?"

Yuki stammered a bit. It was always hard to tell anyone about his disturbing relationship with Akito, especially to Kyo because he never wanted to look weak in front of him.

"C-Consider it a sacrifice. I'll stay with Akito as long as he lives if he agrees to choose another girl to be the next mother of th—"

He stopped as Kyo leaned over to him, eyes narrowed. Four more inches forward and their noses would be touching.

"Stupid," Kyo said before swinging at him. The hit connected and Yuki held his nose, surprised by both the attack and the fact that there was no blood. He gave Kyo his best dirty look and went to punch him back when he saw water—tears—swelling up in Kyo's eyes.

"You fucking idiot," Kyo said calmly yet firm. "Why? Why is it that **you're** the only one who can save her?! Why am I so fucking useless?! Is this because I'm the cat?! … You're scared to death of Akito, right? Isn't he going to… this guy is an asshole! He's hurt Tohru, nearly killed Haru, hurt Hatori's eye, and done… I-don't-know-what to you! He's… he's cruel. I've only dealt with him myself a few times… if it wasn't for my master…" He thought of Kazuma for a moment before continuing, "It's not fair… for you to go and hurt yourself more. Isn't there something **I** can do to save her? I love her… so… much… and all I can do is mope up here on the roof."

Yuki was silent. Kyo wiped at his eyes—the tears hadn't fallen and he wasn't about to let them. _Damn rat…_

"… Akito made me feel numb," Yuki eased out at last. "I couldn't feel anything for a while—not even pain. I was just… numb. But I realized that and decided to change it; I had to get away from him and the numb feeling and I did. Shigure helped a lot—he's so light-hearted, I couldn't help but feeling a bit better.

"It wasn't until Honda-san entered our lives did I actually feel anything again. She healed my wounds from Akito and showed me things that I had never seen before. I soon started to feel again. I could smile again. I love her, too. In a different way, of course, but I still do. I love the way she gives me strength and the way she always smiles even though she may be hurt. I wish I could be more like her."

"We all do," said Kyo softly. "That's why she's so precious to all of us. We all love her in our own ways…"

There was a warmth in the air despite how cold it was.

"I want to protect that smile of hers," Yuki replied. "I never want her to stop smiling."

So much for not letting the tears fall. Kyo never cried loudly—not since he was a child—and it wasn't going to change then either. He looked only at the city, keeping his face hidden from Yuki.

"Kyo," Yuki called quietly. "I need you to protect her here. Be with her closely here. If I get back and she or Shigure or Haru tells me that she was sad once while I was away, I'll **really** let you have it, stupid cat. I'm protecting her from one end and it's your duty to protect her from the other."

Kyo agreed without words.

"Oh, and keep Haru at bay," Yuki smiled. Kyo turned his head, sensing the lighthearted tone of Yuki's voice.

"No way! That stupid cow better not go PMSing everywhere!"

As always, there was an understanding between them. And with that, Yuki left to go tell Tohru, which he and Kyo both knew was going to be very, very hard.

/-/

Yuki stepped outside of Tohru's door as he heard a voice inside. Obviously, it was Tohru's.

"Mother… please…"

He listened in, pressing his slim body against the door quietly.

"I guess… there's no way to avoid it. Akito-san is choosing me to give birth to the next person who is to be the head of the Souma household. So, mom… I want you to give me the strength I need to be able to do this for them all… I want to be a great mother like you were to me. … I wonder how it happens… does Akito-san say a spell or something?"

Yuki smiled. _That's just like her to only be worried about being a good mother._ He knocked on the door. "Honda-san?"

She made an embarrassed noise ("Uwaaaa!!") and there was the sound of her shuffling to the desk to, Yuki guessed, put her mother's portrait back on the desk. She came to the door and slid it open.

"Yes?" she asked. Her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying, though that was the most apparent fact of the century.

"I need to talk to you," he calmly told her. She backed up and gestured for him to come in as well. He slid the door shut after coming in, looking to Tohru's big eyes. She faltered under his gaze.

"W-what is it?"

"I'm pretty sure you won't have to worry about being a mother just yet," Yuki said. Her face brightened just like Kyo's. Yuki wondered if Haru was going to do the same thing when he told him.

"Really? Did Akito-san choose someone else?"

"Not yet. I'm going to persuade him to."

"How?"

He tried to give her his best smile as he answered, "I'm going to stay with him until he dies in exchange for your safety."

Tohru stared at him for a moment, silent. She knew exactly what this meant, what he was going to put himself through for her.

"S-Souma-kun… aren't you afraid of Akito-san?"

"Yes, but I can't be afraid of him forever. By now, he has four months to live and then I will have nothing more to fear. I want to keep you safe, Honda-san. That's the only thing I'm worried about."

"No, Souma-kun, don't go and do that, please…"

"Honda-san, I **want** to do this. I already told Shigure, Hatori, my brother, and Kyo. I want to protect your smile."

Tohru started to cry again and sank to the floor. Yuki knelt beside her, rubbing her back thoughtfully. She was shaking her head almost angrily.

"Souma-kun, I will feel… awful if anything were to happen to you while you are with him. I'll never forgive myself! All of it will be my fault! I don't… I don't want to lose anyone else!!"

He was worried that she would go into hysterics, so he firmly enlightened her, "That would defeat the purpose. My aim is to keep you safe and smiling. You need to stay happy—Kyo is protecting you here while I am protecting you there. You have to make sure he does his job to keep you happy, okay?"

Tohru didn't reply at first. She continued to cry into her hand, shaking.

"Everyone always does so much for me… I'm really not worth all of the trouble. I don't mind giving birth in order to keep you all alive. It can be my way of saying thanks to you."

"Would you be able to, though? You would be expected to give birth by the end of next year. That means you would have to miss some—no, a **lot** of school. Next year is our senior year. Do you really want to jeopardize your final year of high school with a pregnancy? And what will your friends think? Uotani-san will instantly blame Kyo and Hanajima-san will most likely kill him. How would you explain it to them? Explaining would mean telling them about the curse.

"And even if you could do any of these things, would you **want** to give birth to a child born to die? Your child will be put through hell. He will suffer constantly and probably blame and hate you. Will you be able to put yourself through that? Will you be able to put your child through that? Akito's mother **killed** herself to avoid the pain. … Akito's goal is most likely to tear you apart, to drive you insane. He probably still wants to chase you away from this family or take you down with him—go the same route as his mother."

It was a lot to take in so Tohru was silent for quite some time. She had stopped crying—it was as if she no longer had any tears to shed. Yuki awaited her response.

"I… I wouldn't be able to do that…" she said in a very hushed voice. "I wouldn't want to give birth to a child that I couldn't love with all of my heart. I don't want to be forced to have a child…"

"Exactly," said Yuki, half-smiling. "I want to prevent you from having all of that pain. None of us want to see you sad or hurt **ever**. I'm going to make sure that you keep smiling."

He tilted her chin up.

"Now let's see one."

Tohru found encouragement from knowing that Yuki was so kind to her. She always knew that the Soumas cared about her, but she was truly awed by how much. Yuki would spend time with the person who frightens him the most in order to save her. She couldn't help but feel loved.

Her lips quivered with the newly found encouragement and broadened into a smile. Yuki did the same.

"Good," he stood up and helped Tohru to her feet. "Take care of Haru while I'm gone."

"Right!"

They were oblivious to the footsteps hurrying through the hall and down the stairs.

/-/

_One to go…_ thought Yuki sadly as he descended the staircase. _Haru…_ He walked passed the dining room and was surprised to see that the door was open and that no one was in the room at all. He raised his eyebrow as he discovered that his suitcase was also missing. He headed in the direction of the front entrance to the house and as he opened the door, he found his brother, Hatori, and Shigure near Hatori's car, placing the suitcase into the trunk—or rather, there was a forth person putting the luggage into the back… _Haru?!_ Yuki ran outside and was greeted by Ayame while Haru said nothing.

"Yuki, we put your things in the car already," Ayame informed him. Yuki nodded in acknowledgement and looked to Haru, saying his name.

"Hatsuharu saw the suitcase after you left to tell Kyo," Hatori explained. "We had to tell him."

"I listened in on what you told Tohru," Haru said as he shut the trunk and shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "It makes sense. We all want to protect her as much as you do."

"Th-the kettle is on!" Ayame chimed suddenly. "Gure-san, Tori-san, let's go in and check on it!"

Grabbing Hatori's hand, Ayame bounced merrily inside. Shigure followed solemnly behind them. Yuki leaned against the car next to Haru and for a moment, they each exchanged no words.

"… Are you mad at me?" Yuki wanted to know. The question had been burning inside him like a disease.

"You have a good reason for wanting to do it," Haru replied. "I'm not going to stop you."

"You're not?" He had honestly expected him to.

"I told you—I overheard you and Tohru talking. At first, I was going to tell you to stay, but now I can see that this needs to be done. Once again, you have lifted the blindfold from my eyes."

Yuki looked at him lovingly as Haru continued, "It's not fair for Tohru to take on our burden. She is pure and we should try our best to keep it that way. I'd like to protect her smile, too, you know. I'll protect her smile by allowing you to do this."

He paused for a moment, scratching his neck. His hand dropped back down to his side and he said, "However, I need to know about **your** smile. After spending Akito's dying days with him, will you be able to smile once you get home? What happens if you can never smile again? … Tohru worked hard in order to make you smile like you do now. I wouldn't want her hard work to go to waste."

His head tilted up to the sky.

"I would… I wouldn't be able to smile if you couldn't. I don't think Tohru could either."  
Yuki nodded thoughtfully, closing his eyes. He paused before opening them again, saying, "I understand. I'll do my best to protect my own smile—and therefore yours."

"… I want to give you something… you know, to touch or to hold onto when you feel scared, lonely, or if you miss me," Haru told him, reaching and pulling the longest of his necklaces off. Yuki stared at it as Haru placed it into his hand.

"But Haru, I can't take this. It's your favorite necklace."

"Yes, it's my favorite," Haru smiled. "All the more reason for you to have it. … Oh, no point in putting it in your hand—let's put it on…"

So he did. Haru rand his hand down the fine string, smiling. His fingers touched the charm and ran lightly over it. He pulled suddenly, forcing Yuki forward into his arms and hugged him tightly. Yuki hugged him back just as close, fighting back tears by closing his eyes. He sniffed and breathed in Haru's scent. _I won't smell this for four months…_ His hands pressed against Haru's back. _I won't touch this for four months…_ Haru's body was warm next to Yuki's. _I won't feel this for four months…_ He opened his eyes and tilted back, staring at Haru's saddened face. _I won't…_ Haru kissed him, sliding his eyes shut.

_I won't have him for four months…_

/-/

As promised, Hatori took Yuki with him back to the main house once Yuki's goodbyes were done. Ayame went with them with the excuse of having to go back to the shop, but in truth he simply wanted to be with his little brother. Yuki was silent and only held onto Haru's necklace during the entire car ride.

* * *

Keep smiling. ::bows and runs away:: 


	11. Hitsuji

Yup. Chapter eleven. Comic relief in this chapter, I SWEAR. ::squee::

Poor Yuki, right? Don't I just SUCK?! ::cackles:: But it is needed to protect Tohru. He really will always be her prince, although Kyo is her knight in shining armor. ::huggles Tohru::

By the way, I wasn't sure as to what exactly "Mit-chan" is a nickname for, so I just went with what the English version called her--"Mii." Hope you all don't mind. ::love::

**Disclaimer**: This just in! I don't own Fruits Basket! In other news, look at the cute puppies!! ::points::

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Hitsuji

Tohru was preparing dinner when she started to rub her arms from the sudden chilly breeze that had entered through the window. She went to shut it as Kyo came in.

"Tohru?"

She turned and almost caught her fingers in the window. She shrieked and darted back to the stove. Kyo shook his head.

"My goodness you're a klutz."

She only nervously chuckled in response. Kyo sensed her sadness and reached for her, pulling her to him but not embracing her. He kissed her first on the forehead, then the nose, and finally the mouth. He looked her in the eyes.

"I can't breathe if you aren't happy."

"I-I am happy!" she lied. Kyo eyed her and suddenly took a breath inward and screwed his eyes shut, holding his breath. Tohru watched him with puzzlement before she realized what he was doing. She put her hands to his face and he opened his eyes and exhaled at last.

"I can't help but feel sad…" she admitted. "What if something bad were to happen to Souma-kun? Everyone will blame me…"

Kyo shook his head and kissed the side of her mouth.

"No one in their right mind would blame you," he assured her. At the same time, on the other hand, they thought of Haru…

"Hatsuharu-san will hate me if Souma-kun is hurt," said Tohru.

"It's the same as Kagura," replied Kyo after a moment. "Haru wouldn't be able to hate you. He may be rude and cruel if he changes to Black Haru, but just remember that he **never** means anything he says while like that."

Tohru nodded and drifted away as the stove buzzed. Minutes later, everyone was at the table, eating quietly. Shigure seemed annoyed, Tohru seemed more lost than Haru ever could be, Kyo seemed angrily depressed, and Haru seemed incredibly sad. His eyes kept wandering from the empty space next to him as if he expected Yuki to blossom from the floor. Naturally, he didn't.

"Thanks, Tohru-kun, for the meal," said Shigure, stretching. "I have to finish one more page and then I'm off to bed. … And may some lightning strike me **dead** if dinner is to be like this every night."

Tohru and Haru washed the dishes silently as Kyo went off to finally finish the paper he had to write for school. Haru passed a dish to Tohru and she dried it, watching the ox boy. She went to put the now dry dish away when Haru spoke.

"Is there something you want to ask me?"

Tohru stared back.

"Do you ha—"

"I don't hate you," he interrupted her because he already knew what she was asking. Or at least, he _thought_ he did. Tohru shook her head.

"No, I was going to ask if you had any more dishes left after that one…"

Haru looked down to the plate in his hand and after a moment, smiled and started to laugh. Earlier, he had convinced himself that he wouldn't be able to laugh while Yuki was gone and here he was, chuckling. He was so grateful…

"Hey, Tohru," he called softly. "Let's work together to keep ourselves happy while Yuki is gone."

Tohru nodded with her eyes smiling as much as her mouth was.

"He told me to take care of you while he was gone."

Haru chuckled again.

"We boys have a mission to keep you smiling. I have a feeling that Kyo will be doing most of that, but if there's anything that I can do to help, you just tell me."

Tohru gleefully nodded, shutting her eyes and widening her smile like she always did. Haru gave a similar smile, realizing that the days ahead weren't going to be as dark as they had thought.

/-/

Yuki would still attend school at Kaibara High, however, under Akito's orders, he was prohibited from speaking to anyone within the Souma household or Tohru. And that meant speaking **only**. He could still smile, wave to, write notes to (in Haru's case), or give playful angry glances to (in Kyo's case) them whenever he pleased. Unfortunately, he was also forbidden to perform any signs of affection, but nothing could stop him from holding onto Haru's necklace dearly.

Yuki blinked as Kyo slipped a note onto Yuki's desk as the cat boy passed papers back to the students. Yuki read the note with puzzlement plastered onto his face.

_Rat—_

Tohru wants to know how you're doing but is too dumb to ask you herself. I don't know—it's a girl thing or something. Just give her a thumbs up or thumbs down. As for me, did Akito agree to your terms? Shake your head or nod. PLEASE NOD.

—Cat

Yuki trailed his eyes over to Tohru. She was glancing up to Kyo as he stepped toward her. Yuki noticed that he tilted his head in Yuki's direction as he gave her back her paper and after Kyo passed her, Tohru was looking at Yuki. The boy gave a soft smile and a thumbs up. She looked relieved, which wasn't an oddity considering that this was the eighth day into Operation: Save Tohru, as Momiji had coined it.

But Kyo's answer was a bit more difficult to explain. Instead of nodding or shaking his head, he wrote his response back in the note. He gave it back to Kyo as class ended and Kyo looked at it eagerly.

_Stupid cat_ ("That bastard…") —

_Akito is still thinking over my proposition but I think he'll say yes. He seemed intrigued. I had most certainly hoped that I could have nodded…_

—Far superior rat

Kyo stared at it, thinking bitterly, _It's been eight days and he's not sure yet? Man, what an asshole…_

Tohru, Kyo, Momiji, Yuki, Haru, Saki, and Arisa were all outside eating—or yelling out obscenities if your name happened to be either Souma Kyo or Uotani Arisa. Momiji and Saki were happily chatting with Tohru as Yuki and Haru stayed silent off to the side.

"How are you?" asked Haru after swallowing a bit of his lunch. Others would take this as a mere greeting or another way to say "How's your day going?" but Yuki knew better. Haru was wondering if Akito had done anything… bad, for lack of a better word, to him. He shook his head and gave a smile. Haru had a similar reaction to Tohru's. They caught a loud whiff of the fight Arisa and Kyo were having.

"Let me just dye that hair of yours, Kyo-Kyo!"

"Don't call me that! And for the last time, this is my natural color!"

"Oohh really?? Is that horrid temper of yours natural too?"

"I swear, one day, Yankee—"

"You'll what, eh? Give me hair like that guy?"

Haru glanced over as he saw Arisa pointing to him. Yuki's eyes widened. _Not his hair, Uotani-san…_

"Ah, Uo-chan!" called Tohru. She had sensed the danger. Arisa went over to Tohru as Kyo went to Haru and Yuki.

"Don't bring me into your fights," Haru ordered dryly. Kyo barked at him, "I didn't! It was that stupid Yankee!"

"Keep it quiet, Kyo-Kyo!" yelled Arisa. Kyo turned to her in order to snap right back but was soon kicked in the back of the knees. He fell forward and glared up from his position on the concrete to see Haru re-crossing his legs as though he had just kicked someone. Kyo growled.

"You bastard!"

"Aw, how cute—he's purring."

"I AM NOT PURRING!"

"You know, you look good on the ground," Haru said coolly. Arisa laughed.

"He does, doesn't he?"

Kyo unleashed verbally at her and Haru looked back to Yuki, hoping to finish the one-sided conversation. He missed hearing his voice…

"Souma-kun," spoke Saki suddenly, looking at him. "You're rather quiet lately."

"He's a bit sick," Haru replied quickly. "It hurts him to talk so we've been writing notes back and forth in order to communicate. It's better if he only talks when it's absolutely necessary."

It was a good excuse, but it wouldn't last four months. It hardly lasted eight days.

"Oh… that's unfortunate," Saki said, looking down. "Your waves do seem more wild than usual—I can't place it."

Yuki sighed and got up, walking away from all of them. Haru and Kyo's eyes followed him until he disappeared through the halls and Tohru fidgeted uncomfortably, trying to resume her conversation with Saki despite the dark cloud looming over her head.

/-/

"Hatsuharu-kun!" called a feminine voice. Haru turned around to see a young girl running up to him. She was in his class and also in the student council. She bowed. "Yuki-kun said that he wanted to see you."

Haru was a mix between confused and happy. The girl told him that Yuki was waiting for him by the front lockers so Haru headed there. He saw Yuki and walked up to him, oblivious to the lack of people around the two.

"What's going on? Is there something wrong?"

Yuki looked up and grabbed him, kissing him very unexpectedly, so unexpectedly in fact that Haru flailed his arms in surprise. He pushed off and backed away.

"Y-Yuki?! What—"

"This is driving me insane," Yuki explained. There was something in his eyes and Haru couldn't place what. The gray haired boy reached for Haru again and the mixed haired boy regretfully evaded.

"Yuki! Stop! If anyone sees us—"

"Hatori won't be here for a bit—"

"**No**, Yuki," snapped Haru firmly, dodging another advance. "Don't you understand what will happen if we mess this up? It's taking all of my will power not to scoop you up and take you home where you belong. But I know that I can't and I know that you can't. The consequences are far too great."

Yuki looked down, the oddness in his eyes gone. His shoulders drooped and he felt a little more than ashamed. "I'm sorry… I guess I went a little crazy…"

"It's all right. Everyone has a black side, I guess."

Yuki laughed softly and nodded. After thinking about it more, he said, "Well, everyone but Honda-san."

They chuckled again and allowed silence to be the thing that made them part. Yuki watched Haru walk away and felt his heart sink. _I'm so stupid… I almost messed everything up._

_No…_ his thoughts battled with each other. _What I did was stupid, but Haru understood and forgave me. I could see it in his eyes._ Yuki had always admired those gray eyes of Haru's. His eyes were the medium, the gray among the black and white. If one had to pick out the most trustworthy part of Haru, anyone could easily choose his eyes. Whether he was Black Haru or White Haru, his eyes remained gray.

His eyes were truth and Yuki found comfort in them.

/-/

Tohru really didn't have _time_ to worry too much about Yuki with all that was going on in her life during his absence from the house. Apparently, Hiro's mother had to go away for a business trip for a week and therefore needed a place for him to stay. At first, Kisa's mother had offered but Kisa suddenly came down with a bad cold. Next in line was Hatori, but Hiro intervened.

"I'd like to stay with Shigure for the week, if that's okay," he said. Hatori stared at the small boy.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am. Why would I lie? Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I'm going to lie, Ha'ri. I thought you knew better than that."

_This kid…_

"Anyway, I like spending time with Tohru-kun and everyone at the house. I think it will be more fun than hanging around this stupid place. Don't you have anything fun? Though I suppose, as a respectable adult like yourself, you **wouldn't** have anything cool here. My goodness—why the hell do Shigure and Ayame like you so much? You're stale…"

Hatori was already talking with Shigure on the phone, making arrangements to drop the lamb off.

/-/

Tohru greeted Hiro as he and Hatori arrived at the door that same Saturday evening. It was already the end of week two of Operation: Save Tohru and there was still no answer from Akito. Hatori reported this disappointing news to Shigure as Tohru helped Hiro get settled as he was going to share a room with Kyo (which Kyo had tried to protest but to no avail).

"Why hasn't he said anything yet?" asked Shigure as he poured some tea into Hatori's cup. Hatori took it into his hand and sipped from it. Shigure placed the kettle at his side and said, "I don't get it. Why is Akito-san avoiding the deal?"

"I'm not sure. He hasn't seen much of Yuki because I told Akito to stay inside. He has yet to beckon Yuki to him," Hatori replied. Kyo slid the door to the dining room open suddenly and stared at Hatori.

"Has Akito—"

"No."

"DAMMIT!"

The door slid shut again as abruptly as it had been open and Hatori faced Shigure. "As soon as anything happens, I'll call you immediately."

"You're worried about Tohru-kun, too, right?" asked Shigure. Hatori sighed.

"I didn't want what happened to Kana to happen to her. Especially since she and Kyo are…" he trailed off as a breeze tickled his long bangs. He faced the open door to the outside patio and walkway, seeing Haru walking silently toward the house, grocery bags in his arms. "… Perhaps I should go."

But Haru looked up and saw him. His face was expressionless.

"Oh, hello Hatori," greeted the ox boy. Hatori slowly nodded his hello and Haru inquired about Yuki.

"He's fine," Hatori told him. "I've been keeping him indoors because of the cold weather recently. We don't need his bronchi acting up."

"No, we don't. It **has** been a little too cold lately. I was worried about his health. Thanks for looking out for him. … Has Akito said anything yet?"

Hatori shook his head and Haru's relieved face darkened at his response. He readjusted the bags in his arms.

"I'll… go put these away now."

"Let me grab those, Haa-kun," offered Shigure, but Haru declined, shucking his boots off and walking by them, heading to the kitchen. Hatori watched him as he passed up until the ox boy slid the door shut with his foot.

"I thought for sure that he would never speak to me again after that day at the main house. Doesn't he have a grudge against me?"

"I'm sure he still has one toward you," Shigure replied a little too light-heartedly. "However, his love for Yuki-kun outdoes his grudges. You and Momitchi are his only source of information about Yuki besides Yuki-kun himself, but Yuki-kun can't speak to any of them. I bet it's very hard for him. He's wanted to be with Yuki for a very long time and now that he has him, Yuki's been taken away from him. Therefore, this longing, loving feeling outdoes all other feelings."

Pausing a moment, Shigure tugged on Hatori's sleeve. "If only your love for me outdid everything else you do!"

Hatori's face remained blank as he said dryly, "Don't bet on it."

"Aww! Haa-san, you are so cruel!" Shigure whined. When he saw that this didn't faze the doctor, he ceased pulling on Hatori's sleeve and more seriously said, "Aaya wanted to know if we could all escape for a weekend to the summer house."

Hatori's eyes met Shigure's. "You do realize that today is October twelfth, in other words, **autumn**."

"It could double as a fall home."

"This is ridiculous. What are the two of you planning?"

"Planning? Why, Haa-san, I feel violated! We're not planning anything!"

Hatori sighed. "When would this weekend be?"

"The first weekend of next month. C'mon, it'll be a good old Mabudachi get together! It'll be fun!"

"… That's what I'm afraid of."

/-/

On Wednesday, Hiro came downstairs around dinner time and decided that he didn't feel like eating Tohru's cooking even though he enjoyed it a lot (which he would never admit). He went straight to Shigure.

"Hey, Shigure, I was wondering if we could possibly eat out tonight," Hiro said to the dog. Shigure looked up from the manuscript that he was writing whether Mii wanted him to or not.

"That sounds great! … But why? Do you dislike the wonderful dishes that Tohru-kun prepares for us?"

Tohru took that time to come down. She smiled to Hiro.

"Hiro-kun, what is it you would like for dinner?"

He blushed as Shigure answered for him, "He'd like to go out for dinner, actually. Is that all right with you, Tohru-kun?"

"Oh sure! We haven't gone out to eat since Ayame-san treated us! I'll go tell Kyo and Hatsuharu-san."

She headed upstairs and Mii glowered at Shigure. "You aren't, by any chance, trying to escape, right?"

"No, no, of course not, Mit-chan! I'm simply trying to fill my stomach and the stomachs of my mates here. I'll treat you, too, if you want."

"You're treating?" asked Hiro. Shigure paused to think a moment.

"… Of course I am."

Both Hiro and Mii stared at him blankly, wondering why he had to think about it. Mii then proceeded to threaten him with the very pencil he _wasn't_ using so he tried to coax her down. Hiro rolled his eyes and walked down the hall.

/-/

The group arrived at a small restaurant that wasn't too far from the grocery store down a few blocks from the street. Tohru blinked as she spotted Hatori waiting by the entrance, quietly smoking a cigarette.

"Hatori-san?"

Shigure bounced happily up to him and Hiro groaned.

"Oh, right… this is his idea of treating us. Having Ha'ri pay for everything."

Mii looked to Tohru. "How on earth do you put up with him twenty-four hours a day? I can hardly stand him for the few hours I see him!"

Tohru giggled softly and assured the editor that she never had any problems with Shigure. Mii turned to Hatori and asked him a similar question.

"We grew up together," he answered simply, holding the door open as the group headed in. Mii gaped at him. "What's your secret!? How **do** you do it??!"

Hatori smiled and said nothing, gesturing for her to go inside. Once the group of seven was seated, Mii found herself in between Shigure and Kyo. Tohru was across from Kyo and next to Haru, so Mii had the incredible pleasure of staring across at Haru's face. Unfortunately, she didn't take advantage of this golden opportunity because she was too preoccupied with being bothered by Shigure.

"Sensei! Give me back my menu!"

"Mit-chan, you silly woman, this is my menu."

"So why do you have two?!"

"I have two eyes, don't I?"

"Aaaaah!! Sensei!!"

Somehow with all of the outbursts, Hiro's sarcastic remarks, Kyo snapping at said lamb, Haru almost fainting right out of his seat when Mii's order of a steak was placed before her, and Tohru and Hatori trying to calm everyone down, they all managed to get through dinner. At the end of the meal, Shigure happily stretched.

"Ooh! I'm stuffed!" He hugged Hatori tightly. "Haa-san, I love you."

"Get off. You already know that I'm paying."

"Oh okay good," said the dog as he promptly released him and went back to bothering Mii. Hatori sighed as he pulled out his wallet. _One day, I'm going to get him good._

Mii, on the other hand, was not immune to Shigure's ways and was practically in tears thanks to him teasing her about her short hair.

"You're so modern, Mit-chan!"

"Senseeeeeeei……"

"Or maybe you cut it to make a rope to hang someone with?"

"Yeah, **you**!!!!"

/-/

Hatori pulled Kyo and Tohru aside as the seven exited the restaurant. Tohru looked at him intently.

"Hatori-san, what is it?"

"Akito has come to a decision."

The two youths held their breaths and Kyo tightened his grip on Tohru's hand. Hatori continued, "He's agreed to Yuki's terms."

They exhaled with a happy cry and wanted so badly to hug or kiss or _something_! They looked to each other and Kyo saw that tears lined Tohru's eyes. However, Hatori spoke again quickly. "But Yuki **must** stay at the main house until Akito's time of death. If he leaves for anything other than school, the deal is instantly off. … If anything should happen that would result in breaking the deal, I should ask you this."

He paused, looking at them blankly. "… Kyo, would you agree to be the father of the next head of the house with Tohru as its mother?"

The two of them made a _"MREEP!"_ sound and blushed a deep, deep red. Tohru may have been a bit dense, but she _certainly_ knew that babies didn't come from storks. It took a while before Kyo stammered out his answer. "We-well, if it… uh, came to that, I w-would… I would do it. I'd l-like to have a kid with… ah… T-Tohru one day and uh… if we're forced to by Akito, then… f-fine."

"Good," was all that Hatori said to end the conversation. He walked to Shigure to tell him the news and left Kyo and Tohru behind. They stared anywhere but at each other, feeling as thought they were going to explode.

"Kyo…" It was Tohru who spoke first. Kyo raised his eyes and watched her lips. "You… you were serious about that? About… wanting to have a child with me?"

"N-not right now, obviously, but maybe… in the future or something. We still have the rest of the school year and then senior year to worry about. It'd be stupid to go and… have a baby now."

Oh, but he wanted her. He was willing to wait as long as it took, though, for her sake.

Tohru giggled softly. "… It's sort of comforting to know that you're willing to do that. I was afraid that I would have to…" she was so embarrassed she could hardly even say it, "with… Akito-san…."

"No," Kyo said firmly, gripping her hands and pulling her toward him so they were touching but not hugging. "I would never let that happen. I would fight Akito to the death if it meant your safety. The fact that I'm allowed to be the… father gives me a little bit more comfort."

Tohru sighed and Kyo, for once, couldn't place what type of sigh it was. He kissed her on the lips after giving them a polite lick. He looked into her eyes after pulling away.

"You said you wanted to be with me always. Well… here I am."

/-/

Yuki stared into the dark eyes of Akito, trying not to show his fear. It had been a while since he was under Akito's harsh control and so he had not yet been able to make himself numb to Akito's sadistic behavior. Akito's nails were digging into his shoulders and he was biting at the boy's collar bone. Yuki tried to not feel it, tried not to get aroused by it, tried not to think about it but he was slipping fast. It would take some time before he was numbed again, and for now, all he could do was take it.

"What is this?" asked Akito suddenly, drawing his fingers across Yuki's chest and resting on the necklace that hung down.

"A necklace that Shigure gave me a long time ago," Yuki lied quickly. He was afraid that Akito would seize Haru's necklace—or worse, break it somehow. If that happened, Yuki would break along with it.

Akito dropped the necklace back down to Yuki's chest and continued his fingers down Yuki's front. Yuki shivered, bringing an unpleasant grin to Akito's face.

"What, am I going to have to retrain you in these few months that I have left?"

When Yuki said nothing, Akito pushed down, covering his body with his own frail one. He licked at Yuki's ear and grazed his hips against Yuki's and then resting there. "I asked you a question."

"I'm not sure how to answer it," Yuki replied truthfully, looking up at the ceiling and trying desperately to ignore Akito's ministrations. It wasn't going well.

"Well, considering that you had so much fun with that slut, I'm pretty sure you have an idea of how to please people," said Akito. His bitterness traced his words well.

"He's not a slut," Yuki remarked a bit too angrily. Akito smacked him across the face.

"Shut up," he said coldly. "You're not to speak of him at all in my presence, got it?"

Yuki answered with affirmation, but it was the hesitation beforehand that earned him Akito's next action. The young man raked his nails down Yuki's arms to his wrists, pinning him, and grinded his hips against him. The mix of pain and slight pleasure brought Yuki to arch his back up from the floor, gasping.

"That's a bit better…" Akito spoke, leaning down and biting at the skin between his neck and shoulder. "But you're not screaming yet," he added hotly against his skin. Yuki grimaced. _I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you…_

"… How about I scream that I hate your guts?" sneered the boy angrily. Akito laughed bitterly and grinded against him once again, his eyes filled with lust and delight. "Whatever works."

Naturally, Akito didn't give him a chance to, for he covered Yuki's mouth with his own. Yuki tried to bite Akito's tongue so the man drew back and slapped him hard.

"Do you want me to show you what I did to that boyfriend of yours?"

Yuki ignored the fact that this was the first time Akito referred to Haru as anything more than a slut. He couldn't help but shake his head to Akito's question—he'd rather not be strangled, thank you.

"So then do you want Honda-san as the next mother?"

"Never," Yuki answered quickly. _I'm not going to let her down…_ Akito grinned.

"Good. Now stop rejecting me. You know what will happen—I'll call the deal off immediately and that will be that."

He let Yuki think this over before going back down and kissing him again. Yuki had no choice but to let him in.

This was going to be a long couple of months…

* * *

::puts up a shield as she is pelted with tomatoes:: HAH! My IMPENATRABLE tomato shield—AHHH YUKI NO!! ::is whacked with…… a stick::

Yuki: Hmph. Why does she torture us so? Anyway, review and stuff. I WANNA COME HOME. ::bows and drags SB off:: 


	12. Shinibana

Hiya! SakuraBu--::is pelted with marshmallows, bricks, tomatoes…::

Ritsu: ::peeks onto the chapter:: … Should I be here? … If I am here and I should not be please forgive me because I'm only going with what I thought was correct and if I got it wrong I'm so SORRY!! AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaAA!! I'M SO SORRY THAT I'M HERE AND I SHOULDN'T BE BUT I SIMPLY NEED TO INTRODUCE THE NEXT CHAPTER OH NOOOOOOOOOO AND I'M NOT EVEN DOING MY JOOOOOB!!! ::wails::

Shigure: ::sighs:: Aaah… anyway, here's chapter twelve. SakuraBubbles is giving it to you all early for Thanksgiving and stuff. HAPPY BIRTH—I MEAN THANKSGIVING. GO PILGRIMS. … I know you'll all enjoy it. ::eyes shimmer::

**Disclaimer**: omFG BBQ.

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Shinibana

Hiro had been somewhat tolerable all week despite his attempts to piss everyone off, however, as the week was drawing to a close on Friday, he awaited the teenagers once they got home.

"Hey, Tohru, want to take me somewhere fun or something? This place gets so boring after a while, especially for a kid. Shigure left a while ago with that short-haired lady and didn't bother taking me with him nor giving me anything to do. I mean, you're all practically adults, so I would have hoped that you would have been a little more responsible for a younger child."

Kyo's "anger meter" hit the max as he listened to the ramblings and he chased after the boy, yelling obscenities. Haru sighed and called after him, "You shouldn't be saying those words, Kyo—he's just a little kid."

However, Hiro had something to say to that. He looked to Haru with an expressionless face after Kyo had been halted by Tohru.

"'Just a little kid?'" Hiro repeated. "Might I remind you that I'm only a few years younger than you, heifer, and that I probably know more words than you do. You are kind of stupid, after all."

"That's IT!" yelled Haru before chasing a very fast Hiro relentlessly. Kyo struggled out of Tohru's grip and resumed chasing the lamb around the house. Tohru gave up and decided to stay out of their ways and start on dinner before she had to leave for work.

As they sat down to enjoy their meal, Kyo and Haru were giving Hiro death glares and he was ignoring them, which possibly made them even more annoyed. Tohru looked to Hiro worriedly.

"Hiro-san, you mentioned something about wanting to go out somewhere… I'd love to take you out, but I have to work until past midnight tonight, so I won't be able to…"

"That's all right," Hiro said between mouthfuls. "Maybe these two could take me to a movie or something."

Kyo angrily looked at the boy. "What!? There's no way in hell I'm wasting my money on **you**!"

"And just why not? I am your guest after all," Hiro replied. Haru sighed.

"I'd rather not be seen together with Kyo in a movie theater."

Kyo seconded his motion. "Yeah! And you probably wanna see some stupid kiddy film."

"Who's to say that?" asked Hiro. Tohru could tell that this wasn't going to go well, so she intervened. "If you would like, Hiro-san, I can call out from work or something—"

"There's no need to do that, Tohru," said Kyo before taking a bite of his food. After swallowing, he looked to Hiro. "You don't want to stay around here, you stupid brat?"

"No. It's boring," Hiro proved his statement with a yawn. Haru glared. "Perhaps you need a nap instead… it's way past your bed time, isn't it?"

"Hmph. It's not even seven o'clock yet, loser," remarked Hiro. Haru quietly fumed, trying not to go black over some stupid kid. Tohru peered at her watch.

"I should get going, then… Hatsuharu-san, would you mind, um…"

"Cleaning up?" Haru finished for her. "That's fine. Go on and get ready for work."

Kyo looked to Hiro fiercely after Tohru was long since out of sight. "You're just trying to make trouble for Tohru, aren't you?"

"Now why would I go and do that?" asked Hiro, passing his plate to Haru nonchalantly. "Are you saying that I'm dishonest?"

"I'm saying that you're a little punk!" Kyo snapped. "Listen, go pick a movie that you want to see and I'll take you to it."

Hiro quickly sped off into Shigure's study to look up movie times and left Haru and Kyo alone in the room. Kyo gave his plate to Haru, sighing. Haru gave him a look before exiting the room. "I don't feel like taking him anywhere."

Kyo stomped after him into the kitchen. "It's not like **I** want to! I'm just gonna so that he doesn't bug Tohru later! You don't even have to come with us."

"How nice of you, I'm surprised."

"Ahhh! Bye, Kyo!" Tohru squealed, running into the kitchen to snag a kiss on the boy's lips. He spun around as she zoomed back off. Haru chuckled. "You two are so cute."

"Whatever," Kyo tried to hide his blush by yanking one of the towels Haru had in his hand and began to dry one of the dishes. Hiro came back into the room and kicked Kyo in the back of the knees.

"Can we go now?"

"You frigging MORON! I almost dropped this dish!!"

"Yeah, and? You would have the cow do it so that we could leave."

"Hell no! I'd make you do it, you stupid sheep!" Haru barked. For once, Kyo took a mental step back and tried to look at the fight from Tohru's point of view. He noticed that Hiro was just getting on Haru's nerves simply out of boredom and Haru was getting offended by it and slowly turning black. He slammed his hand over Hiro's mouth.

"I said I'm gonna take ya so shut up or I'll tie you to the roof tonight!"

"And I'll help you little punk!" snapped Haru, pushing up his sleeves. Kyo put an arm in front of him. "Calm down, Haru. I'm taking him so why don't you just go… away?"

"Hmph," was all Haru said in response before stomping out of the kitchen, his destination (his room) in mind. Kyo glared down to Hiro.

"Happy now that you've pissed everyone off?"

"Whatever gave you the idea that I was trying to piss anyone off?" asked Hiro innocently. Kyo twitched and grabbed the boy's hand, yanking him through the hall and out the door.

/-/

Kyo was there to pick up Tohru right at one o'clock, no matter how tired he may have been after dealing with Hiro at the movies. Tohru looked to him happily.

"Kyo! I'm so glad to see you!" she bounced cheerfully over and stopped, seeing his tired face. "Kyo? What's wrong?"

"Just a bit tired, is all… Hiro's in bed, thank goodness," Kyo answered sadly. Tohru reached out and touched his face gently. "You took him out to the movies?"

He nodded. "I wanted to spend that money on something for you."

Tohru looked taken aback and blushed deeply. "Y-You don't—"

"Let's just go home, okay?" He took her hand in his and stated off down the street. "He leaves tomorrow, so maybe I can take you out on a date or something. It really has been a while since we've gone out."

"Kyo, it's been six days."

"Long enough!"

"Hee, hee… that would be nice…" Tohru said softly, looking up to him with a smile. "If you want, I can pay for my share."

"No way," Kyo managed a wide smile. "I want to treat you! It'll be fun. We just… can't go out to the movies or do anything else after eating."

He seemed frustrated, so Tohru poked her head up and kissed him gently.

"That's fine. You don't even have to take me out."

"It's the least I can do for the girl I love," Kyo mumbled softly, as if trying to hide the fact that he said it. Tohru smiled cheerfully and they continued on their way home.

/-/

It wasn't long after Hiro left on Saturday when there was a knock on the door. Shigure tiptoed to the door, trying to keep in the mood of the latest novel he was working on, which happened to be a murder mystery. He hummed an imaginary theme as he stealthily crept to the door, ducking behind the walls. Kyo stared blinkingly as he saw Shigure stalk by his perch on the stairs where he waited to take Tohru out on their date.

Once Shigure opened the door, he was greeted with a tall man and a not too much shorter woman. The man had a stone look on his face and was wearing sunglasses even though the sky was darkening above them. The woman had a tight business suit on much like something that Mii would wear, only this woman's outfit was a formal black. Her hair hung down and was dyed bright red.

"Are you Souma Hatsuharu-san?" she asked. Shigure blinked. "No, but he is in fact here. Want me to… uh, go get him for you?"

He felt a little awkward in his yukata under their gaze. He was so traditional and the contrast was almost unbearable.

"Yes please," spoke the woman. Her voice was tight so Shigure did as he was told, for once. He scampered off and up to Yuki's room where Haru resided.

"Haa-kun, there's some scary lady here to see you."

Haru gave a look to the dog yet stood anyway, running a hand through his two-toned hair. He walked tiredly downstairs and into the front hallway and stared at the intruders.

"Uhhh… I'm Souma Hatsuharu…"

"Oh really? Wow! You look even better in person!" shrieked the woman, kicking off her high heels, running over, and shaking his hand. "I'm Mitsumi Kohiko, a representative of the Shinibana Cooperation."

"Shinibana…?"

"The modeling agency, of course."

Haru froze. These were the guys that were sponsoring Ayame's shop with that damn dress. They had tried speaking with him and gave him their card, but he had thrown it out. How did they know he was here? His left eye twitched. _Ayame…_

"I simply came to inform you that we are still very interested in hiring you as a model. We know you're young and busy with school and all of that, but that just makes you jubilant and high spirited! We need a fresh new model for the magazines and their readers to fawn over," Kohiko spoke. Haru couldn't get a word in with how quickly the woman spoke. Before he could grasp what was going on, he, Kohiko, and Kohiko's bodyguard were at the table, kneeling across from each other.

"Um…" Haru started, "Mitsumi-san—"

"Feel free to call me Kohiko!"

"R-right, Kohiko-san—"

"Kohiko!"

"… Lady, I don't think I'm really model material."

Her eyes flashed and she put her hands on the table and leaned over. She looked murderous as she spookily said, "You are quite possibly the hottest young man I have ever seen and for goodness sake you could look good, no great—NO! **FANTASTIC** in anything we put you in, be it a dress, skirt, rave outfit, or that delightful getup you're wearing now! Chaps are such a turn on!"

_This lady…_

"But please, Hatsuharu-san, I beg of you. We are in dire need of youths like yourself. What I mean by that is that we need hot, sexy youths! I saw you at that show that Ayame-san held and I just **knew** that you could be our next star!!"

_… is insane._

"Would you at least think over being the newest model to represent the Shinibana cooperation? I'll leave my card here for you."

She thrust said object in his direction and he took it between his pointer and middle finger. He looked it over. "… So I can call you at this bottom number here?"

"Yep! Feel free to call any time you are interested!"

_Though I guess I'm insane, too. I was the idiot who wore the dress in the first place._

After a bit more of trying to persuade the ox boy to join their team, the duo finally left Haru standing in the front hall, staring at the card he held in his hand. Once he turned around, loud laughter echoed through the house as Kyo and Shigure literally fell onto the floor (and Kyo had been on the stairs), laughing hysterically.

"I figured that damn rat would end up with models after that face of his—but **yours**?! Hahahaha!!!"

"Shut up you damned kitten!!" yelled Haru, reaching for Kyo. Kyo rolled out of his way, jumping to his feet.

"You want a fight, eh pretty boy?"

"Shut the fuck up! I'm not doing the stupid model thing anyway!"

"Yeah, sure, right! I just hope I don't mess up that face of yours—"

"I hope I mess up **yours** though—Eyyaaaagh!"

While the first part of Haru's sentence was a threat, the second part was him getting hugged by Tohru, who snuck up behind him and grasped the boy in order to stop the fight. Kyo _thought_ he had the last laugh but yelped out when Tohru hugged him, too.

"Please, no fighting!" Tohru pleaded. She must have crept by Kyo while the two boys were yelling blindly at each other. The cow and the cat looked away, each of them angry and ashamed. Shigure decided to speak.

"Haa-kun, I'll give Haa-san a call and maybe he'll let you talk to Yuki-kun on the phone so you can tell him what happened."

The cow looked eagerly at him. "Really?!"

"Let me try it out—you have to be a good little cow though!" he chimed and walked away down the hall. Haru let out a soft moo. The chance that he might be able to speak with Yuki had at least calmed him. He stayed on his best behavior as Tohru picked up Kyo's clothes with him in her arms and rushed upstairs so that he could change into his clothes once he became human once again.

There was a _Poof!_ from the main entrance and Haru was standing there, naked, shivering, and obviously caught in a stupor. He looked down and saw his clothes on the floor, suddenly wondering what Kohiko would do if she came back in. _Why the hell am I thinking like that? That woman is crazy._ He quickly got dressed.

/-/

Yuki rubbed his neck as he shuffled through the long darkened hallway stretching between his room and Akito's. It was his throat that was bothering him the most but he felt as though massaging his neck would help. He met with Hatori halfway down the hall.

"Come with me," he said and Yuki followed him down the steps to the outside garden and toward Hatori's office. Once there, Hatori commanded the boy to sit.

"You have been allowed a ten minute phone call with Hatsuharu," he told him, gesturing to the phone. Yuki looked to it as though it were made of diamonds.

"R-really?"

"Yes. But this is a privilege and therefore can be taken away. If you keep in the time limit you will be allowed to speak with him over the phone with my permission. Akito is not to know of this. Shigure is on the other line right now."

Hatori knew that the silence from the boy was to keep him from cheering at the top of his lungs. That action might wake up Akito and Yuki had already had a _session_ with him that day.

"Shigure," spoke Hatori into the phone. "I have Yuki here."

Soon enough, the phone was placed into Yuki's hand and Hatori exited the room, sliding the door shut behind him. Yuki mentally thanked him and then brought the phone to his ear. He heard humming coming from the other line and found it almost hard to speak.

"… Haru?"

The humming quickly stopped and his voice came over the phone, "Yuki!!"

Yuki's words halted in his sore throat. Here he was, finally able to speak to the young man he loved and he could hardly talk. Haru sounded breathless.

"Yuki… Yuki, are you all right? I miss you so much—I miss hearing your voice so much!"

Yuki then realized why he couldn't speak—tears were gathering in his eyes and soon were slowly dropping down his face.

"Haru…"

On the other side of the line, Haru twisted his fingers into the phone cord. He could tell that Yuki was crying softly and it was taking all of his will power not to do the same.

"Yuki, I… I need to hear your voice… please, say something."

"Haru… Haru, I love you."

A shaky smile claimed his lips. "I love you, too, Yuki. How are you doing?"

Yuki calmed and wiped at his eyes. The tears had stopped flowing almost as quickly as they came about. _I wish I could show you how much I love you…_

"… My throat is a little sore—I may be coming down with something," Yuki told him. There was more to the sore throat—Akito and his craving for Yuki's screams—but Yuki said nothing about it. He only had ten minutes and he didn't want to ruin them with his name.

"Careful about being outside then and make sure Hatori is nearby, I guess," Haru offered. One minute had already passed, and although both boys noticed, neither wanted to believe that the clock was even ticking.

"How are you?" Yuki wanted to know. His hand was gripping the phone so tightly that his palm was starting to sweat.

"A lot has happened—it's why I'm allowed to call you in the first place. … It's kind of embarrassing…"

"Oh! Tell me! What happened?"

He sounded so happy, Haru couldn't help but stop feeling ashamed at his possible new job. "Well… remember when we all went to that show that your brother held at his shop?"

"And you found yourself in a dress. Mmhmm, I remember."

"Yeah… the agency that was sponsoring the show stopped by this evening. They want me to be their next model."

"Really?"

"It's kind of awkward," his said awkwardness was turning his face red. "I don't think I'm exactly model material. Plus… they're gonna be putting me in all sorts of outfits, or so they said. Like… dresses… argh…"

"What if I told you that you should do it and it would bring me great happiness if you did?"

"Y-Yuki! I couldn't possibly…" he trailed off and his face flushed. He didn't notice that two and half minutes had already passed.

"Think about it, at least," Yuki told him. He couldn't help but smile. "This way I can brag about dating a model."

Haru stammered and then hushed. A thought crossed his mind and he thought about it, silencing himself.

"Don't stop talking—we've only got seven minutes left," Yuki said sadly.

"I know, I know. I was just thinking about it," replied Haru. "When you get home, I want to take you somewhere… so I've been saving up my allowance. If I take up this modeling thing, I'll get—"

"You don't have to take me out anywhere," Yuki informed him embarrassedly. It was his turn to blush—the two had never really gone out on an official date. They only went out together to go grocery shopping or the like. If they ever went out for dinner, Kyo and Tohru always accompanied them.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. I love you and I can't wait until you get home. I want to celebrate your return with everything I can do. Plus, it'd be fun to have an 'us' day of sorts."

"Official Cow and Rat day?"

"I prefer ox, but that works, too. I'll get Shigure to write the holiday cards."

Yuki managed a soft and nearly inaudible laugh for the first time since coming to the main house. Haru delighted in the sound. His eyes trailed to clock and noticed that six minutes remained in their phone call. His mind scrambled for things to talk about, trying to stay away from the subject of Akito. It was Yuki who spoke first.

"How are Honda-san and that stupid cat doing?"

"Oh, they're fine," Haru answered. "They're out on a date tonight, actually. Tohru is always worrying about you. The other day, I was helping her cook dinner and we were talking about you. I figured that one of us would end up in tears, but instead we were just talking about all of the things about you that make us happy."

"Ohh…" Yuki blushed. "And the cat?"

"He seems to mope around a bit more than he used to. I think he feels guilty or something, so that's probably why he's been striving to spend so much time with Tohru. He's worse than usual on rainy days."

"He always was," Yuki commented with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, Hiro was visiting us over the week… and he gave us some hell."

Yuki chuckled once more. "Oh no, what now?"

"He caught the more murderous side of Kyo. Hiro made him take him out to the movies."

"Kyo hates movies…"

"Exactly. And with **Hiro** of all people. I went black, too, and yelled at him about a thousand times during the week… but other than that, it was okay."

Four minutes remained and Yuki finally asked, "Are you wondering about Akito?"

"… I figured it'd be best to stay away from that subject…" Haru softly replied. He heard Yuki sigh quietly. "If you want to ask, go ahead."

"… Does he know that we're talking to each other right now?"

"Hatori said that he didn't and that I'm to keep it that way."

"And my necklace? Has it given you the strength you need?"

Yuki's reply first caught itself in his throat as his fingers traced the charm. "Agh…" He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I think so. I almost lost it."

"What?"

"Akito saw it and asked about it. I was afraid what he would do to it if he knew that you gave it to me, so I told him that Shigure gave it to me… it was pretty lame but it was all I could think of. He bought it, too."

Haru smiled, happy that Yuki wanted to protect his necklace. "I'm glad you saved it from… doom."

There was a small silence as Yuki and Haru both realized that two minutes remained.

"… It's not fair," Yuki said angrily. "I miss you so much… I've been able to do a lot of thinking lately and… it's so unfair. There's so much I want to tell you now… things I want to do…"

"I'll be here when you get back," Haru promised. Yuki shut his eyes. "I'm freezing lately… and I think it's because I don't have your warmth beside me."

"I miss nuzzling against you… I don't know why I do that—do cows nuzzle?"

Yuki had to laugh at that. "They can if they want."

Nine minutes had passed and Yuki was feeling everything crash around him. He spoke once more, "Haru… would you mind singing for me?"

"If it makes you happy, I can sing you a lullaby," Haru replied before softly singing to him, sliding his eyes shut. Yuki kept his own eyes shut, trying to pretend that Haru was there with him, singing instead of across the phone line. Shigure stood outside of the room, listening and hoping that Hatori didn't notice that their time was up, for he wanted to let Haru finish his song.

He sighed when he heard Haru abruptly stop to bid a rushed farewell to Yuki.

/-/

It was that time of year again—the cultural festival was a mere week and a half away. Yuki was up at the front of the classroom with some of the other committee members, asking for ideas of things to sell at the stall.

"Last year we did a rice ball stand," started a girl in the front row, "so should we do something like that again?"

"Hmm…" Yuki thought on it. "That might be a bit repetitive…"

"Yeah and class C is already doing a rice ball stand! They stole our idea!" yelled Minami. A sound of surprise and slight anger reverberated through the room and the class chattered about it until Yuki quieted them back down.

"Any other things that we could make?"

Kyo raised his hand but before Yuki could call on him, one of the guys in the back of the room asked, "Hey, cat-lover, I bet you want to make stuffed animal kitties!"

"I DO NOT!"

"With all sorts of coats and different kinds of stuffing—"

"Shut up!"

"We need an orange tabby to match your hair, cat-lover."

"This is my natural color and SHUT UP!"

"Aw! That'd be kinda cute, Kyo-Kyo!" cheered Arisa. He glared at her and stood up. "I don't wanna make stuffed animals! Those wouldn't sell well anyway—I can't even knit."

"I can make one for you, Kyo-Kyo," said Saki seriously. Tohru had to hold back her laughter from Kyo's reaction's to her friends' words and instead got him to put the chair that he had picked up and threatened to hit people with back down.

"Um, Souma-san?" another girl asked meekly, raising her hand politely. Yuki nodded her on. "Uh… well, I like the idea of making something… and lately I've been making some wind chimes out of metal and clay… s-so maybe I could teach everybody how to make them, we could sell them at the festival."

"Are they difficult to make?" asked Yuki, intrigued. The girl shook her head. "Not really… the hardest part is carving into the metal."

"That's something different that we could try… what would we do with them?"

"Decorate them!" Mio cried excitedly. The class openly expressed their interest in the idea. Tohru raised her arm.

"We could take requests as to what to paint on the bell part and what to carve onto the metal. That way, we could make the chimes and then give them out when we're finished."

"That's a great idea Honda-san," Yuki replied, smiling. Minami, not wanting to be outdone by Tohru whether Yuki was dating a male or not, stood quickly, putting her hands to the top of her desk. "We should have some pre-made though! Otherwise no one would come to the stand."

"Unless Yuki-kun dressed up again," said Mai, blushing as she daydreamed about her memories of the year prior. Yuki had to stop himself from screaming bloody murder before another girl said, "Class 1-B mentioned something about having a really cute cross dresser in their class—I'm worried that they're going to use him to gain popularity at their stand!"

Class 1-B contained both Momiji and Haru, and even though it had been only a week since Haru signed on with Shinibana, people may have already found out. So the cross dresser that the girl was talking about could have been either of them. _That's going to take some time to get used to_… thought Yuki.

"Ahh," sighed Mai happily. "It'd be cool if we could combine classes and model off both Yuki-kun and Hatsuharu-kun!" She giggled at Yuki's blush. "You two **are** dating after all."

Yuki hid his face in his hand while a portion of the girls giggled wildly. _Apparently, they do know about Haru's… work… probably thanks to Momiji…_

"E-enough about Haru and me—"

"EEE! You have a nickname for him!" cheered some girl in the back of the room.

"Th-that's what we all call him!" Yuki protested as he felt that his face very heated. It wasn't that he didn't like talking about Haru (quite the contrary, actually), it was just because he was in front of his entire class full of peers, staring at him with all sorts of eyes. He calmed, trying to regain composure.

"R-really, enough. Now then, are we all for the wind chime idea?"

"Yeah!" squealed Minami. "You could make one for Hatsuharu-kun!"

Yuki then contemplated jumping out of the window but instead decided to ask, "… Right, well, should we have the customers pay before we make their personalized chimes or when we give the chimes back to them once completed?"

"We need to take the money first," said Kyo. "Otherwise, who knows if the customers will really come back for their chimes or if they'll have money when we try giving it to them?"

"Hmm… makes sense," Yuki replied. He realized that he was being too nice to his "rival" and added, "… I suppose I should set aside a kitty chime for you?"

Kyo was about to yell back at him when Tohru intervened with, "Aww! That'd be sooo cute!" so he instead contented himself with her happiness.

"Are we all comfortable with making and painting them?" asked Yuki. The girl who came up with the idea raised her hand. "I could take care of the painting and carving. If everyone could just mold the bell parts…"

"I think we can all do that, right? We can get clay from the visual art department," Yuki said. The girl nodded. "My dad runs a craft store, so I can take care of the paint and metal."

"Good! This is so great!" Minami cheered. Yuki smiled, agreeing with her. He thought about what she had said about making one for Haru and wondered what he could possibly decorate one with. _Perhaps a cow? Or a rat? Hmm… that's too obvious…_

He sighed and decided to think more about it later.

/-/

Akito reached outside of the window, trying to touch the tree nearby. It was around this time, or so he had been told, when his mother killed herself. He had found it interesting that his death would be so near his mother's. Interesting, and a little sad.

"Akito."

The man already knew that it was Yuki coming into the room so he didn't turn around. He sighed, leaning his head down near his shoulder and retracting his arm back onto the window frame.

"… Yuki, tell me. I want you to tell me how much you hate me."

Yuki stared at his back. _Is he joking? This is a trick question, I bet._

"I… I'd rather not answer that."

Akito didn't move as he spoke. "Hm. You are welcome to, by all means. Anyway, I won't be needing your services today, so go away."

Yuki would have, but there was this strange feeling that kept him back. "… Are you all right?"

"Why should you care? Aren't you glad that I'm too depressed to even have my way with you?"

Yuki found it hard to reply right away. Akito brushed his fingers through a longer lock of his hair aimlessly as Yuki pondered what to reply with. Akito had yet to face the boy.

"… I think—" Yuki began, but he was startled when Akito slumped off of the window frame, leaving one arm resting on it and dropping the other to the floor. It would have looked as though he was hanging had it not been for his legs obviously resting on the floor. Yuki didn't care about the fact that he was staring.

"How…" started Akito. "… How is it that… that girl can feel pity for me?"

"You mean Honda-san?" Yuki confirmed. Akito slowly nodded and Yuki continued, "It's because that's who she is. She doesn't want you to die."

"Everyone else does," Akito grinned, tilting his head up to face the ceiling. "That way she can be safe, right? You're giving yourself to me for her sake. I should thank her…" His eyes trailed downward and over to Yuki's. "… Because of her, I get to spend my dying days with you."

"Why do I mean so much to you?" asked Yuki. He never had really asked before—he had always just taken it. Akito's eyes looked very sad all of a sudden and Yuki found himself walking over and kneeling down in front of him. Akito turned his head to Yuki and leaned over, resting his head under Yuki's chin and against his neck. Yuki was unsure of what to do with this new empathetic Akito, so he just did what he would do with Haru—though not as lovingly—and put his hand to his back.

Akito melded himself into Yuki's body, sighing. Yuki had no choice but to let him and hold him loosely. Yuki watched the wind gently toss the tree's branches outside of the window, taking down a leaf.

"… Maybe if I had done things differently…" Akito started and then silenced himself. Yuki waited for him to finish his sentence but he never did. Yuki sighed and leaned his head back, not minding the mess of body and kimono in his arms, for once.

* * *

The funny thing is, I was reading over the chapter and listening to the Fruits Basket soundtrack and Haru's normal theme came on a little before Shigure answered the door… and then Haru's black theme came on right as Kohiko went psycho on him XD.

Uhhh, anyway, just wanted to tell you all… **I'M HOLDING A CONTEST! WOO!** That's right folks, I'm absolutely STUCK on what Yuki should carve into his bell chime for Haru. Sssooooo I want YOU ::army point:: to choose for me. You can suggest anything at all and I'll pick the one I like best.

Only… try to make it pertain to the couple without having it be so obvious… or something. Especially don't suggest "OMFG CARVE A NAKED LADY INTO THE THINGIE LOL OMG WTF BBQ." Okay? OKAY! ::bows and runs away:: 


	13. Mabudachi

Hiya, SakuraBubbles here. Mm. Chapter Thirteen. Never thought I'd make it this far. But I guess we have. XJ Oh, Jessiegurl, strange that you said that I never mention the window because I do in this chapter, and for those of you who don't know, I have my chapters prewritten like… weeks before updating. XD … Save for the next chapter and final chapter. Because my brain sucks. 

Yes, thank you for all of the suggestions for the bell chime. If you're still confused as to what exactly a bell chime is, go here for the best picture I could find: http:img. photobucket. com / albums / v446 / SakuraBubbles / newgreenchime.jpg. Without the weird spacing, a'course, and with the double slashes that won't let me do. I found it whilst searching on Google. Anyway, I made one too a long time ago.

I made the top bell part out of clay and yeah, hardened it. And then that piece there at the bottom is made out of metal or paper... mine was out of copper. And I painted the bell part orange and then drew Pokéballs all over because I'm so cool.

And there's a tiny clinky... thing that baps the inside of the bell when the wind tosses the chime. And stuff.

Anyway, this is too long, but… yeah enjoy this and stuff. Oh hey Hella Good by No Doubt just started playing on my playlist. Ain't that swell?

* * *

Chapter Thirteen – Mabudachi

"Are you sure you'll be all right by yourselves?" asked Shigure to the trio of teenagers. Ayame was bubbling at Hatori's side behind Shigure, daydreaming (and describing his daydreams in detailed prattle) about the weekend ahead. Kyo gave Shigure a look.

"Of course we'll be all right. It won't be any different with you gone—you don't **do** anything around the house. If anything, it'll be quieter around here."

Shigure pouted, whining about how Kyo was so mean to him, which caused Kyo to yell at him for acting like a little brat. Shigure sighed overdramatically.

"I just can't win with you Kyo-kun—"

"BRAT!"

"—but Haa-kun," Shigure turned to said ox boy, "make sure that Kyo-kun doesn't do anything **untoward** Tohru-kun while I'm away."

Tohru freaked out and looked acted like she were going to explode and Kyo yelled at Shigure even louder as if to cover up for his face turning crimson. Haru said nothing in return.

"Also, Haa-kun, how are you planning on getting to the studio this weekend?" asked Shigure after being able to ignore Kyo. Haru thought a moment.

"Kohiko said she's coming to get me so it's no trouble. If anything, I could always walk there."

"'Walk there,' he says…" Kyo remarked. "This coming from the guy who got lost upstairs and wound up locked in Tohru's closet."

"That was an accident and it was dark out! Shut up!"

Suddenly, Ayame beamed. "They'll be fine, Gure-san! Come! Let us be off!"

"One more thing," Hatori started, his eyes on Haru. "You are not allowed to call the main house for **anything**. You know what will happen if you do."

Haru trailed his eyes to Tohru. _We've come this far. I'm not going to screw it up now._

"No worries. I'll be so busy with the modeling and schoolwork, I won't have time for phone calls. Yuki probably won't even cross my mind at all."

The last part was a lie but he added it to further ensure Hatori that he was trustworthy. He also soon put in the fact that he would never want to mess up what they've all worked so hard toward. Although she tried to hide it, Tohru looked relieved.

"Good then," replied Hatori as he turned, slipping his feet into his shoes. Ayame abruptly smiled widely to Haru.

"Haa-chan, I get a lot of people coming into the store looking for you. It's amazing how many more customers I get nowadays, too! I really should thank you!"

After finishing his sentence, he started a random conversation with Tohru. Haru sighed, faltering. _Then thank me already…_

"Considering the type of store that moron runs," started Kyo, looking to Haru, "I think you should be scared."

Ayame brought himself back into the conversation and inquired of the ox boy, "Do you get hounded at school?"

Haru didn't answer and looked down to hide his eyes with his bangs. Tohru smiled knowingly—there was now a Prince Haru fan club to rival the Yuki fan club—and then said her goodbyes and farewells to the men as they left the house. She gazed happily at Kyo and Haru.

"What do you want to eat for lunch?"

"Don't we need to go shopping?" asked Kyo. Tohru blinked and raised a fist in the air.

"That's right! I made a list!" she cried, zooming into the kitchen. Kyo grinned.

"Doofus."

"I think I'm gonna go up in my room and read," said Haru, looking at the stairs. Kyo raised an eyebrow and leaned against the wall.

"You don't wanna come shopping?"

"Naaah… plus, shouldn't you be spending a lot of one-on-one time with her? It's nearly your third month anniversary, right? Wasn't your first date something like the second of August?"

Kyo blushed and made a face. "H-how did you…?"

"You have it marked on your calendar; I saw it while gathering the laundry," Haru answered and absently stroked at his bangs. Kyo stammered, "W-well, I just didn't wanna forget, y'know? That's not until this Thursday anyway!"

"Got anything to do in mind?"

Kyo looked to the side at nothing in particular. "We haven't decided on anything yet…"

"Postpone it until Friday night. I'll get Shigure out of the house somehow so that you two can have a nice private candlelight dinner or something after… seeing a movie maybe?"

"And you?"

"Photo shoot."

Kyo verbalized his understanding, thinking over Haru's proposition. It was then when Tohru returned, a piece of paper in her dainty hand.

"I had to add a few things, but we should be all set."

"Shall we then?" asked Kyo, holding out her jacket so that she could wriggle her arms into the sleeves. As she did the said action with Kyo's help, she gazed over to Haru. "Hatsuharu-san, aren't you coming?"

He shook his head. "I'm gonna be reading some stuff upstairs. Call up to me when you get home and I'll help put the groceries away."

"I can handle it," said Kyo. "Plus, your headphones will be too loud. You won't be able to hear us."

A sly grin crossed Haru's face. "I won't be able to hear you two? Didn't Shigure say something about not doing anything untoward Tohru?"

"Shut UP! Gah!! I'm gonna kill you!" yelled Kyo, rushing after the ox boy despite Tohru's protests ("Kyo! You have your shoes on!"). Eventually, after some coaxing from said rice ball, Kyo was able to let it go and the two departed, leaving Haru home alone. He crawled onto, but not into, the bed once he was in his room and reached under his pillow to grasp "Yuki-chan" in his hand.

"Not too much longer now, right Yuki?" He dropped his head upon the pillow, holding the stuffed animal close. "Hatori said that Akito doesn't have much longer to live… soon, I can hold you in my arms again."

What Haru didn't know was that at that very same moment, Yuki was gazing out of his window back at the main house. It was the exact window from where he had sat by when Haru confessed his naïve hatred from him. That wasn't his only encounter with him by that window; however, it was the most momentous event. But Yuki, as he ran his thumb over Haru's necklace, looked back on some of the other times fondly.

_"Why are you always here?"_ Haru had asked, his big eyes questing. Yuki turned his head to address him with a smile.

_"My parents keep me here because I'm sick,"_ he had replied. Haru blinked.

_"Sick? Is it contagious?"_

_"I don't think so."_

_"Oh good,"_ Haru had sounded so relieved. _"That means I can keep visiting you!"_

_"I thought you said you hated me."_

_"No, no, I don't." _

He came often after practicing his martial arts with Kyo and one day, Yuki had asked him why he continued to see him.

_"…Why do you continue to come here?"_

Haru had given him a big smile, basking in his naïve way. _"Because I love you!"_

This had, at first, boggled Yuki. No one had ever really liked him, let alone love him. As the rat, he was a very special child, but that didn't mean he was well liked. Being quarantined from everyone else and also being under Akito's strict control did indeed put a damper on making friends. He had stared at Haru, confused.

_"L-love? I don't really know what that is."_

_"You know when you love someone because your heart hurts every time you see them or think about them."_

_"Your heart hurts? Isn't that bad?"_

_"It's a good kind of hurting, the kind of hurt you crave for."_

_"Oh… well, then, I love you, too."_

Yuki ran his hand along the circular window frame as he remembered. _How ironic…_

Sadly enough, Yuki's confession was forgotten when Haru was taken away from him. Apparently, some of the adults spotted the boy where he should not have been and was forbidden from going to Yuki's section of the main house. Yuki went into a mental downward spiral after not seeing Haru and also thanks to Akito's suddenly more frequent demands.

Yuki had been under the impression that both he and Haru were being punished for loving each other so from then on, Yuki promised himself not to fall in love again, which explained his cold behavior towards Haru afterward. He had forgotten his confession entirely and continued to keep Haru (and by that time, everyone) away.

Yuki put his hand to his heart, sliding his eyes shut. _It's so strange… I pushed you away and forgot what I had told you back then. It must have been hard for you, knowing that I had indeed told you my feelings._

And yet he never gave up.

_I'll make it up to you, I promise. When I get back, I'll show you just how much I love you._

/-/

"It actually looks very nice in the fall, Haa-san," Shigure commented as he pulled his luggage out of the trunk. He noticed that Ayame had already merrily skipped inside of the villa, he pulled out Ayame's suitcase as well. Hatori gazed at the trees with a distant look on his face.

"Yes… it will be nice to relax for an entire weekend. I just hope that Akito doesn't put too much strain on himself or Yuki."

"Uuugh! Don't worry about Akki, Tori-san!" yelled Ayame from the door to the house. Shigure stared at him. _Only_ he _would give him a nickname…_

"I forbid you to talk about, think about, anything about Akki all weekend!" Ayame continued loudly. "As for my brother, only 'about' him a little bit."

Hatori rolled his eyes and headed inside with his small suitcase. Ayame was rushing through the house with a dust cloth, singing about wanting the place to look beautiful for his "Tori-Tori-Tori-san." Shigure smiled at Hatori's grave face.

"I suppose this isn't a good time to tell you that Aaya wants us all to share the same bed?"

Hatori sighed. "I had a feeling that was going to happen anyway."

"Oh good! I'll go put our stuff away!" Shigure cheered as he bounced off with their bags.

/-/

A loud bang coming from downstairs broke Haru out of his slumber with a start. "Yuki-chan" was flung from his hand and onto the floor. He quickly went to pick it up, staring at it.

"What the—"

There was another sound coming from below and Haru rushed out into the hall. _A burglar?_

He slowly descended the stairs, reminding himself that it very well might be Tohru and Kyo returning. Once he got to entrance hallway, he noticed two things. The first was that the door had been shoved open and the second was that a different pair of shoes lined up haphazardly next to the others. _Well, if it's a burglar, they're at least kind…_

Haru peeked around, looking for said intruder, first looking into the kitchen. When he saw that no one was there, he backed up, his destination now the dining room.

"Oof!"

He had backed up right into someone and he turned around quickly, ready to sock the person right in the nose. But he stopped and blinked.

"Kagura?"

"Hiiiii Haru-chan!" she smiled and wrapped her arms around him happily. "How've you been?"

"I-I'm all right… what are you doing here?"

"I came to visit Kyo-kun and Tohru-chan of course!" she answered, backing away to gaze at him sweetly. "No one answered when I first knocked… and then no one even answered when I broke in! Where were you?"

"Upstairs, asleep. Kyo and Tohru are out grocery shopping," Haru informed her. She nodded and followed him into the kitchen as he offered her a glass of milk. She happily accepted.

"Ah, thank you. Yu-chan is doing well, you know. He told me to tell you that he was able to buy one of the magazines that you were in."

A blush spread across his face and he said, "Aaah… it's so embarrassi—" Haru halted. "… Wait… he's allowed to talk to you?"

"Huh? Well, of course he is. After all, I'm the—"

"We're home!" called Tohru sweetly from the entrance hall. Haru called back his greeting to her and she replied, "Oh, Hatsuharu-san, I didn't think you'd hear me—where are you?"

"In the kitchen," Haru smiled to Kagura because the girl was trying to contain her excitement, shaking slightly. She softly whispered that she wanted to surprise the two. When they heard Tohru heading to the kitchen, Kagura readied herself to pounce on the rice ball. Tohru smiled to Haru as she came in and the next thing she knew, she was getting squeezed by Kagura.

"Tohru-chaaaaaaaaaan!"

"Ahhh! Kagura-san!"

"Kagura?" came Kyo's voice. He entered the kitchen and stared at the two girls. "Whoa! What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit Tohru-chan, of course!" cheered Kagura, hugging Kyo, but not as tightly as she used to. She released him and looked at him dearly. "And to see how you were holding up."

Kyo found himself smiling and decided that he was more fond of the boar when she wasn't in love with him. "Things are pretty good, I guess. And you?"

"I'm all right! Say, Kyo-kun, would you allow me to steal your girlfriend for… an hour or so? I'll bring her right back!"

"Uh… sure," said Kyo blinking. Tohru fretted a bit.

"But what about lunch? And the groceries?"

"I can put the groceries away," said Haru, taking the bags out of the girl's hands. "And Kyo can make lunch. He's a big boy now."

"Yaaaaay!!" cheered Kagura as she tugged Tohru out of the kitchen forcefully. Tohru made a few noises of surprise and alarm as Kagura handled her right out the door. A gust of wind swept a few leaves by the open door and Kyo stared after them with his arm half extended as if to grab Tohru back. Haru started putting the groceries away, ignoring the fact that Kyo stood there for half a minute, mouth wide open and still reaching.

"A while back," spoke Haru, "I thought Kagura would distance herself from Tohru."

Kyo shook his head and turned toward the pantry, depositing some of the groceries inside. "Kagura's not like that. One, she seemed fond of Tohru from the beginning and two I don't think she could distance herself from someone so close and important to me. It's against her nature."

Haru nodded and Kyo looked over to him. "It was the same with you for that damn rat, right? Before you two became something, you were like Kagura… you could never feel hatred toward the person he chose over you, right?"

"… Right… I feel happy realizing that I am the person he chose…"

Kyo watched him for a moment and vaguely wondered just how Kagura felt. He would never bring himself to ask… but he figured that he would always wonder. He would have been torn apart if Kagura ended up hating Tohru... He shook his head and continued with the groceries.

/-/

"HAHAHA!"

"You really have nothing to laugh about, Aaya. We're lost."

Ayame shook his head. "Never! We merely don't know the way back to the house! I know exactly where **we** are, just not the house!"

Shigure sighed. "You sound like Haa-kun…" He suddenly decided to take this at a different approach. "Oh well… it's not like I mind getting lost with you, Aaya…"

"Gure-san, you know just how to keep me warm!" Ayame cooed to him, hugging his arm tightly. "Although, I would have liked it better if Tori-san had come with us."

"Mmhmm… but Haa-san is very tired, right?"

"Of course he is! He has to deal with Akki and then my poor young brother."

The two stayed silent, just walking quietly in the forest, Ayame still hanging off of Shigure's arm. Ayame had three layers of clothing on, the first being a long sleeved white turtleneck, the second a dashing royal blue vest, and the third a long blue overcoat which he wore as though he were a noble king. His pants were also white and made out of a thick material to keep him warm. Shigure's body heat also helped, but Ayame couldn't help but shiver.

"We need to find the house…" Ayame said quietly. Shigure stopped and tilted his head to the side.

"Well… we shouldn't be too far now… do you have another coat to wear?"

"Yes, I packed another away."

"I'm pretty sure that we're either really close to the house or to the lake—… oh, sorry, Aaya…"

The apology was given because they had indeed been closer to the lake rather than the house. Ayame sighed, detaching himself from the novelist.

"Gure-san, as a dog, I thought you had a better sense of direction!"

"He's no dog, he's a mutt," said a voice. The two men looked over in surprise to see Hatori standing by the lake. It seemed as though he had been there for a bit. Ayame bounced over to him and while he did not bounce, Shigure followed.

"Tori-san! I didn't know that you were here!" cheered Ayame. Hatori shrugged.

"I decided to go for a walk and my feet led me here."

"Ah—your sea horse instincts led you to the water," said Shigure teasingly. Hatori's eyes widened rather spookily and he _would_ have threatened him, but Ayame spoke up.

"Tori-san, why didn't you want to walk with us?"

Hatori calmed, putting his hand to his eyes, his thumb rubbing his temple softly. "Because I didn't know myself that I was going to walk. It just sort of happened."

Ayame let out a disappointed noise and grasped Hatori's hand in his, suggesting that they go down to the lake's shore. The three men headed down, one a lot less enthusiastic than the others.

"Oooh! How marvelous!" cheered Ayame as he ran out on the long dock. Shigure called after him, "Don't fall in, Aaya; you know you can't swim!"

"I'll be fine!"

Hatori sighed. "If either of you fall in, I'm **not** jumping in to get you. I have a very nice shirt on and—"

"Yes, it is rather nice, Haa-san," said Shigure in a low voice, passing his finger over one of the buttons of the fresh white shirt as he walked by. Hatori looked down to see that the button Shigure has touched was undone and quickly did it back up. At Hatori's glare, Shigure grinned.

"I'm quick with my hands, Haa-san…"

"Shigure—"

"Gure-san! Tori-san! Come heeeere!" Ayame beckoned sweetly from the long dock. Hatori was not surprised to see him at the far end, waving gaily. Shigure was already swiftly walking down the dock, reaching halfway when he turned, looking at Hatori. "You coming, Haa-san?"

Hatori looked at him impassively, wondering why he kept saying his name over and over and with that _tone_… He sighed, determining he'd never understand his long time friend and walked over the sandy shore to the dock. Despite Shigure and Ayame's teasing, he wasn't around water very much. He was good at swimming but didn't do it often. He never had time for it anyway, what with Akito's ever-dwindling health and having to deal with covering Yuki's bruises. He winced thinking about it, although he only had himself to blame.

_"Where is it this time?"_ he had once asked of the boy. Yuki had shaken his head and removed his shirt, exposing a bruise near his collar bone and another below his beating heart. Upon inspection, Hatori had discovered a cracked rib. Yuki had sighed and put his face into his hands.

_"As long as you bandage it up so no one can see…"_

He didn't want Haru or Tohru seeing his wounds. He felt ashamed and didn't want their pity.

Hatori's eyes narrowed despite his mind's protest. And although he himself could never figure out what Shigure was thinking, it was just the opposite with Shigure to him. His dark eyes rested on Hatori's face.

"You're not thinking about Yuki-kun, are you?"

Ayame opened his mouth to boast his opinion on this but Hatori spoke quickly and firmly before he had a chance.

"I'll make it up to them. Yuki and Hatsuharu, that is."

"You're regretting what you've done?" asked Shigure. _There is always regret…_ thought Hatori as he pulled out his lighter. Ayame sighed as Hatori also got out his cigarettes.

"My goodness… Tori-san, must you pollute the air with that horrid habit?"

"Yes," was the only response he got besides the flicking of a newly born flame, living long enough to start burning the butt of the cigarette and then dying out.

"How will you do that?" Shigure inquired further of Hatori's statement. "Haa-kun may never forgive you for what you've done but won't show it unless he goes… well, Black. He has too much respect for his elders—he's wise beyond his years and always has been, will be. Yuki-kun also respects you, but you've tested and broken that respect and trust, and he probably will never forgive you for it. Yuki-kun has a very biting anger, don't you think? I almost hope that's what brings Akito-san down… brings his end."

Ayame had heard enough, he decided. He stomped his foot down on the plank below him hard.

"I will NOT tolerate anymore talk of Akki—"

But apparently, the dock would NOT tolerate the strain of Ayame's weight amplified by the stomp and with a loud crack, the plank split. Ayame fell backwards into the water with a yelp, sending water and wood everywhere. Shigure burst out laughing, peering over the edge.

"Aaya! Grab my hand!" he yelled, extending his arm. However, when Ayame gripped his savior's hand, he pulled him down as well, sending them both spiraling in the water. The weight of all of Ayame's clothing was keeping him down and Shigure found he could not combat it—especially considering the fact that he had always cut swim class at school and therefore only knew how to doggy paddle. Hatori grimaced and dove in swiftly, wrapping and arm around Ayame's waist and swimming with the other, leaving Shigure to his own devices. Shigure paddled slowly behind them.

When they reached the shore, Hatori deposited the silver haired nuisance and leaned over on his side, glaring at the water. Shigure shook his head to get water out of his hair, much like a dog would, and looked to Ayame.

"Aaya, you bastard! You could have killed us!"

"I apologize, Gure-san, Tori-san. I did not anticipate being brought under—"

He was interrupted with a soaking wet shirt slopping him in the head, bringing him down to the sand. Shigure smiled to the now shirtless Hatori as the doctor said, "You owe me a new shirt, Ayame."

Hatori caught sight of Shigure's smile as the novelist said, "If you're cold, Haa-san, I can keep you warm—"

Before Shigure could finish, on the other hand, was socked in the head by a small soggy box.

"And **you** owe me a new pack of cigarettes."

/-/

"Aaah, it's such a warm day out, isn't it?" asked Kagura, smiling as the sun pleasantly beat down on their faces. It was nearly evening and the girls were headed back to the house after a nice lunch together, talking about many things. One of the subjects happened to be the fact that Kagura had a new man in her life, something that both girls were very cheerful about.

Kagura had told her that she had met her boyfriend, Takeshi, at a fair that her women's college was holding. He had been friends with someone dating her best friend there and so they had met and danced and ended up talking all through the rest of the fair. She had discovered that his name was Souma Takeshi, and she revealed to him her own family name as well. She couldn't help but ask him if he knew about the zodiac curse and came to find out his grandfather had been the previous ram.

The girls continued talking about him on the way home.

"I told him all about Kyo-kun the night I met him," Kagura said, "and didn't even notice how sad he had gotten in my blind love for Kyo-kun. He asked if he could see me again and I wasn't about to turn down a new friend… so we saw each other for dinner a few times following that. Little did I know that he saw these dinners as dates while I saw them merely as friendly get-togethers… that is until he kissed me one night—four nights before you found out about Kyo-kun and his true form.

"I told him that I was engaged to Kyo-kun and only to him and he suddenly grew angry. 'He doesn't appreciate you! He never bothers seeing you! Stop wasting your time with him and be with me!' he said… over and over. I was so stupid… I was biased and saw this as mere jealousy and ignored him for the next couple of days. On the fourth day, I decided to visit Kyo-kun myself to find out what he thought about me… when I got there, it was easy to see how much he loved you."

Tohru looked at her blankly. "Easy?"

Kagura went on, "I had no idea that Kazuma-san was going to do what he did. It was all a coincidence that I was there in the first place. From the sidelines, I watched what happened. … You know the rest."

Tohru nodded. "And Takeshi-san?"

"I returned to him in full swing, deciding to give him a chance. I found that I loved him with a different love than what I felt for Kyo-kun, probably because Takeshi-kun returned the feelings and they weren't forced."

"Forced?" Tohru inquired innocently.

"Well, yes, my feelings for Kyo-kun were a bit forced because I had selected him to father my child. I mean, I loved him for many reasons besides that, but being the chosen for the mother of the core was the majority of it—"

"Mother of the core?" asked Tohru, stopping in her tracks. Kagura continued walking forward, turning so that she could face Tohru and walk backwards. She gripped Tohru's hands and pulled her along.

"I take it you were never informed… though, I guess that's to be expected. I have always been the chosen mother of the core. I was a bit surprised when I heard that Akito had made the decision of making you the mother instead… it devastated me. I went to the main house to try to persuade Akito to let you off and discovered what Yuki was doing. Using his sacrifice as something to back up my argument with Akito, I was able to get him to change his mind. Gained me a black eye though."

"But…" Tohru wasn't sure what shocked her more: the fact that Kagura had always been the next mother or that she had argued against Akito for her safety. In a way, Tohru felt as though she was taking everything away from Kagura—first Kyo and then her freedom to have a normal baby rather than a cursed one. She expressed this verbally to Kagura.

"Tohru-chan! You're not taking anything away from me!" Kagura exclaimed, squeezing on Tohru's hands. "My freedom has not been lost—I'm allowed to have a child with the man I love even if that child will be burdened with the core of the curse. I will cherish him and love him with all my might and I'll never bring him up to be like Akito-san, I'll be with him as he suffers from the curse and so will Takeshi-kun.

"As for Kyo-kun, it was inevitable. He… really didn't love me as… intensely as I did and in time and with Takeshi-kun… with his knowing words, I would have finally realized it, whether you were there or not. Kyo-kun would have eventually fallen for a different girl and I would have to deal with this anyway. Even if he never fell for anyone else, I would have noticed that he never loved me.

"Tohru-chan, listen to me. I have been prepared to do this since before I could remember. By no stretch of the imagination are you responsible for doing something as great as this for this family. There are only three girls in the zodiac this generation and there's no way that Kisa-chan could do it… and the other girl isn't at all dependable for that."

Tohru could only listen since she hadn't met that member yet. Kagura continued on.

"I am the first of the zodiac girls and also the only one capable of doing this task. I'm old enough to take responsibility and give birth."

"But you're only a few years older than I am!" protested Tohru.

"Yeah? And? What does it matter? Does that make you more fit to give birth to a cursed child? I've braced myself for this my entire life. You are not responsible for this family. Thank you for caring enough to worry about me."

She let go of Tohru's hands and turned around, gesturing ahead. Tohru saw that they had made it back to the house as they were talking. The boar smiled back to her and turned around to give her a big hug.

"I'm leaving now. Today has a lot of fun."

"… Does Kyo know?" asked Tohru as Kagura pulled away. She shook her head.

"No… he's never known. Only Akito-san, Ha'ri, and I know. Oh, well, you and Takeshi-kun as well. Ah, ah, and Yu-chan, too."

"Why Hatori-san?"

"He's the one who places the curse on the baby. It comes along with his memory erasing power from being the dragon."

"Oh… I didn't know that."

Kagura giggled. "Of course you didn't. Well! I hope that you and Kyo-kun remain happily together, okay? If Kyo-kun hurts you, I'll make him hurt ten thousand times more, okay?"

"… R… Right… good luck to you and Takeshi-san, too."

After another wave and verbal goodbye, Kagura turned and left. Tohru headed into the house, her feet shuffling a little.

"I'm home…"

"Oh, Tohru," came Haru's greeting. He poked his head out from the kitchen. "Welcome back. Kyo is upstai—hey, what's wrong?"

Tohru scooted out of her shoes and stepped into the walkway, removing her coat. "Kagura-san… is the one chosen to become the next mother of the head of the house, the core…"

Haru stared, mouth agape. He recalled his earlier conversation with Kagura. _"… Wait… he's allowed to talk to you?"_

_"Huh? Well, of course he is. After all, I'm the—"_ She was going to tell him that she was allowed to talk to Yuki because she was to be the next mother. It made sense then, Haru realized. He softened his face, looking almost bashful in front of Tohru.

"I'll… go get Kyo for you…"

"No, Hatsuharu-san, that's all right. I'm going to go up myself and tell him."

"… Okay."

But as she passed him and got one foot upon a stair, her knees gave out and she fell down, hitting her chin on one of the higher stairs. Haru rushed to her side, helping her sit up and walking with her to the kitchen to grab a towel to dab at her chin in case it bruised or anything. Her chin wasn't as red as her cheeks, however, which were burning crimson.

"Aaah… I'm so clumsy…"

"You… aren't fooling me."

Tohru stared at him as he pulled his hand away, looking at her intensely. She then looked away and gave a small chuckle and Haru assumed (correctly) that it was to cover for a sob.

"Everyone around me is getting hurt for my sake… suffering for my sake. And all I can ever do is cry! I'm so weak, Hatsuharu-san! I can't even hold myself up! I don't know how long I can do this!"

"Tohru, look at me," Haru ordered. She hesitated before she actually was able to look him in the eye. He continued, "You are much stronger than you think you are. The entire Souma family knows this—it's why Akito fears you so much. You are our strength, you are what helps us face our fears. We are cursed… and yet you are our strength. **Nothing** about you is weak at all, Tohru. If you were truly weak, do you think that people would put themselves through such strife simply for your safety?"

She didn't answer, but Haru knew that he got his point across. He quickly ran an open hand over her head and through her hair. "Go talk to Kyo. There are things that can be said that will mean much more to you if he says them."

Tohru nodded slowly and headed out of the kitchen. Haru watched her go before tossing the damp towel into the sink, sliding against the cabinet door to the floor to sit. He hung his head and tangled his own fingers into his mixed hair.

"She doesn't even know how special she is…" he said quietly, not caring that he was talking to himself. "I owe her so much… if she hadn't broken Yuki out of his shell, I wouldn't be where I am right now… thank you, Tohru. I owe you everything."

/-/

Ayame tipsily passed over the sake cup to Shigure, grinning like a fool. "Gureeeee-san, you should really learn how to hold yourrr liquorrr…"

Hatori sighed and rolled his eyes, sipping almost delicately from his cup. He refused to share with either of the two bumbling idiots in front of him, but he wasn't one to pass up a good bottle of sake. He let out a grunt when Shigure leaned into him, offering to do something Hatori would rather not repeat. He had to admit, he was feeling the intoxication of the drink, but he'd never get as bad as those two.

"Ohh, Tori-Tori-san," started Ayame, looking over with dazed eyes. "Did you know that Kana just gave birth?"

He hadn't. "… Of course I did. It's in the records."

"Oh… is there a picture? Is she cute?"

"Yes, very."

"Uh-huh…what'd they name her?"

"… I don't know."

"Well, of course you wouldn't know. They gave birth to a **boy**, after all."

Hatori looked away and sipped more of his sake. "I got confused with a different birth in the family."

"Right," Shigure eyed him. "You had no idea she gave birth, did you?"

Hatori forced him out of his arms rather roughly. "Shut the hell up." Ayame suspected that he was starting to get tipsy from the sake as he continued with a slight slur, "I don't care about Kana… she's married and I don't care. I don't care about Kana."

Ayame prattled on. "It's a fat baby, apparently. Nine pounds—"

"That's enough!" snapped Hatori, thrusting his cup angrily in Ayame's direction as if to threaten him. "I just said that I don't care."

"Hmph! Stop being so moody, Tori-san!" Ayame whined. Shigure passed a look to his silver haired friend.

"Aaya, would you mind running into the kitchen to grab me some rice balls? There should be some in the fridge… just heat them up for me, okay?"

Ayame sighed but obliged, shuffling into the kitchen. Hatori ignored Shigure, sitting back to rest on the palms of his hands, looking up.

"Why… does he always bring her up? Is he **trying** to get me worked up?"

"As horrible as it sounds, I think he may be just doing that," Shigure spoke, resting his chin in his hand. He was facing Hatori rather nonchalantly, although his eyes looked almost hungry.

"That's stupid," said Hatori, rolling his head onto his shoulders. He brought one hand to his brow. "Ugh… I hate drinking…"

Shigure scooted back to sit next to him and reached over to pet the back of Hatori's head. Hatori was too angry/drunk/sad to care.

"… What happens… if I have to erase Hatsuharu's memories… or Yuki's? One of them is going to be hurt and it will be my fault for not stopping Akito in the first place for when…"

Shigure pulled him closer. "Heh, I thought for sure that you of all people, Haa-san, would understand that tormenting yourself over the past does nothing but delay the future. Why don't you help them out by releasing Yuki-kun? You're letting up a little by letting them talk over the phone, but… Haa-san, you even warned Haa-kun not to call the main house."

"I'm only looking out for Tohru. Akito found out that they were talking on the phone… Yuki paid for it with—actually, I'm sure he'd rather I didn't tell you about it. And I paid for it with…" He shook his head. "Watching."

Shigure rubbed his back affectionately. "Well, I understand that you don't want to see anymore suffering. It is awful that—"

He stopped because he felt Hatori slide a hand up his chest to his shoulder, fixing himself to look at Shigure as he lay in his arms. When Shigure tried to continue, Hatori leaned upward and caught Shigure's mouth in a soft kiss. Despite his initial surprise, Shigure was able to return the kiss after a moment before regretfully pulling away.

"Haa-san…"

He shivered and couldn't help but smirk a bit as he felt Hatori kissing his neck. He determined two things: he liked it when Hatori was drunk and also that his plan to get Ayame out of the room was delightfully fruitful. After all, there were no rice balls in the refrigerator, but he knew that Ayame would search until dawn if someone let him.

Shigure moved slightly, putting his hands to the side of Hatori's face so he could kiss him again, forcing his mouth open with his tongue friskily. He grew wickedly surprised when he felt Hatori kiss him back, not as fiercely, but definitely with some feeling to it. Hatori's hands rubbed down Shigure's arms as he moved his head down to get back at Shigure's neck. Shigure tilted his head to the side to give the other man more access, but Hatori stopped suddenly, breathing softly against him.

"… Shigure."

Shigure looked down to see Hatori gazing up at him with his mouth gaping. "… I think I'm going to be sick." ((way to go Ha'ri))

Shigure instantly helped him get up, walking him to the bathroom, passing the kitchen to yell for Ayame to bring water. Shigure coaxed Hatori as he coughed up what little food he had in him and then brought the cup to his lips. Ayame was freaking out to the side of Shigure, hastily taking the cup back and filling it with tap water, almost spilling it all over Shigure's head.

"Ayame," spoke Hatori, looking up. It seemed as though he had regained his composure. Ayame stared at the doctor as he continued, "Actually, both of you. I want to clean up a bit. Make me something to eat… please."

Shigure nodded and led Ayame out of the bathroom. Upon entering the kitchen, Ayame bitterly asked, "Why don't we get the rice balls out of the fridge to give to Tori-san?"

Shigure couldn't help but sigh. "Sorry, Aaya, I must've forgotten that we ate them all."

"Hmph. Right."

Shigure knew that the slight anger would pass soon and continued to gather some food for Hatori. He hoped Ayame hadn't seen them kissing. However, as he slid his eyes over to the snake, he determined that he actually didn't care either way.

Hatori stared at the face in the mirror, wet with the water he just splashed it with. He shook his head to get any possible water out of his bangs and padded his face with a towel. He decided to sit on the floor and stare into the towel idly until one of the others came in for him.

He didn't know why he kissed Shigure like that and didn't know why he wasn't regretting it either.

* * *

Oh! Did I forget to warn you about that? Well, don't I just suck. Two chapters, maybe three, remain, folks. HOPEFULLY chapter 14 will be completed in time. ::bows and runs away:: 


	14. Shinikakeru

Hiya, SakuraBubbles here. Wow. Only one chapter remains. 

For those of you who hate long chapters, I apologize. This chapter needed to fit a lot in it, and therefore was twenty pages (without the double spacing) in Word. I'm sorry, but really, does anybody care? By all means, read it in steps. It's a lot to take in.

OH right, I have some people to "holler" at. Thank you all, firstly, for the suggestions on the bell chime. I chose to use **Peter James'** idea along with **Jessiegurl43953**, **Shinzo-no-shibo**'s and some of my own. Ah, and I liked your original idea, **Ember5000** that you told me over IM. Hehe, I believe it to be more fitting, because Yuki likes it when Haru sings.

Sorry if I looked over anybody. Just give me a HOLLER, okay? ::dies::

Also, I like how the manga has Momiji speaking German, so I threw some German in here, too. Also, Kisa now says "oneechan," because as **Gysecune** rightly said, it's not fangirlish. Booyaka.

**Disclaimer**: Yeah. More importantly, warnings: Fluff, tight clothing, violence, and blood. Yes, you read right—fluff and blood in the same chapter. Spooky, ain't it?

* * *

Chapter Fourteen – Shinikakeru

Tohru happily greeted the men as the Mabudachi Trio returned to Shigure's house, bags plaguing their arms. Shigure smiled brightly to the girl.

"Did you have a good weekend, Tohru-kun?" he asked. She nodded, not bothering to mention the stress of Kagura's conversation. She and Kyo had sorted out everything through soft words and kisses. She had, with Haru's approval, spent the night with Kyo—not doing anything indecent, but rather talking over some things and planning out imaginary futures together.

"I'd like to become a teacher, I think," Tohru had told Kyo. Kyo had her with her back to him as he stroked her hair slowly.

"I wanna do something like that, too. I wanna be like my master… like Kazuma. I wanna teach kids how to fight."

Although they contrasted each other, they complimented one another as well. And beside the fact that Tohru woke up next to a naked (but still sleeping) Kyo, they shared the night together in peace. Tohru came to the conclusion that she hugged him or something while they were sleeping, because she also found some cat hair on her nightshirt that hadn't been there before.

"Haa-kun, were Kyo-kun and Tohru-kun… **y'know**…" Shigure inquired of Haru as he took Shigure's bags from his hands. Tohru stammered and assured Shigure that nothing happened while Kyo yelled the same sentiments with certain extra words.

"Leave them alone, Shigure," warned Hatori, eying him dangerously. The novelist chuckled and tiptoed away, giving the excuse that he felt faint and needed nutrients to save his dying blood. Hatori looked to Haru, who was listening to Ayame's prattle about the weekend along with Kyo and Tohru. To say that they looked bored would be the understatement of the century.

"Hatsuharu," Hatori caught the boy's attention. "I understand that the school's cultural festival is coming soon."

Haru's shoulders slumped a bit as he was reminded of it. His class had chosen to exploit his new career to help get people to come to the stand, which happened to be a fortune reading stand. Haru decided that he didn't really mind, considering that he was doing it for a living anyway, but also he felt like he finally understood Yuki's pain for being in a heavy dress all day. One of the outfits he once wore for a shoot consisted of more belts than he would ever wear in his entire lifetime and he felt like he was being weighted straight into the floor.

Hatori continued, "I'm giving you permission to talk with Yuki for as much as you would like for the entire day."

"… The entire day?" Haru's reply had almost caught its happy self in his throat. Hatori nodded.

"I can't let Yuki stay here but you're both free from Akito's rule as long as you stay on the school grounds…"

"… Thank you, Hatori," said Haru softly, bowing. "… And I can't call him anymore, right?"

"Akito found out about it and both Yuki and I were punished."

Haru's eyes darkened under his bangs as he flinched, letting his head tilt a bit. "I'm… sorry…"

"It's all right. Akito has a little less than a month to live and then Kagura will—" He quieted himself and upon hearing the name, Tohru looked over from her conversation with Ayame (and unfortunately for him, Kyo).

"Hatori-san… Kagura-san told us everything. I passed it on to Hatsuharu-san and Kyo with her permission."

"Oh… well…" Hatori was unsure of what to say. "I think it's time to go, Ayame."

"Ohhh but Tori-san—"

"No. We're going."

"Haa-san!" cheered Shigure as he ran back into the room and jumped into Hatori's arms for a big hug. "Gimme a call, okay?"

And everyone in the room could hear the obvious "heart symbol" that followed that sentence.

"Kids, would you like to hear the story of a young girl Shigure met in seventh grade?" asked Hatori as his friend squeezed him and rubbed his face into his chest. Upon hearing that, however, Shigure broke away from him, backing into the wall and sliding it down it in fear.

"Y-y… Haa-san… you wouldn't…"

"She had long flowing black hair and it was curled slightly at the end—"

"Haa-san! Please! I've already let goooo…"

Hatori sighed and deemed his torture enough. He pulled Ayame out of the house after another goodbye. He ignored both Ayame and Shigure's whining as he chucked the silver haired nuisance into the car. After watching Hatori drive off, Tohru slid the door shut carefully and looked back to her housemates.

"What would you all like for lunch?"

"Haa-san sandwich!" giggled Shigure, clasping his hands together by the side of his face. "Haa-san is tasty!"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Kyo as he took the suitcase out of Haru's hand and smacked Shigure with it, taking him down. Haru sighed and decided to let Tohru try to calm everyone down as he started lunch for the noisy household.

/-/

Yuki rubbed the back of his wet head with a fluffy white towel after stepping out of the bath, feeling clean and refreshed. He was completely undressed, save for his robe, as his feet padded softly against the wooden floor. He had learned to walk very quietly through the halls at night, because if he stepped too loudly, he might wake Akito. Haru's necklace cord was heavy and wet against Yuki's bare chest but Yuki found that he loved it when he was conscious of it and could feel the necklace on him. It was like Haru was touching him again, warm and soft.

He could never mistake Akito's touch from Haru's. Akito's hands were clammy and although somewhat soft from his delicacy, he used them upon Yuki's skin rather harshly. He could always feel Akito's silky hands used violently on him and it stung.

But Haru's hands were just the opposite. They were a little rough like the rest of his exterior, but he had always carefully touched Yuki, sometimes barely even applying pressure. He could also always feel Haru's rough hands touching him gently and it was… amazing, to say the least.

Yuki gripped the necklace suddenly and slid his eyes shut. Thinking about Haru at night made Yuki want to curl up and sob, as much as he hated to show his weakness. _It's only about a month now… that's it…_ he assured himself. In actuality, Akito hadn't done anything horrid to him lately. Besides punishing him for talking on the phone with Haru—certain areas still throbbed with pain and it hurt to sit too long—Akito had been dismissive of him and almost gentle. Never as gentle as Haru, but…

Yuki looked in the mirror that was on top of his bureau that faced the door to see his own dark face staring back at him. The mirror was somewhat large and round with flower engravings carved into it. He aimlessly studied it as he walked into the room after sliding his door shut and then looked to his desk by his window. He had gotten a head start on his bell chime for Haru and only needed a few more things to complete it.

He walked over to the desk and ran his fingers over the bell, feeling the texture of the long since heated and hardened clay. Attached by fishing wire and hanging from the inside of the bell hung a small chime that clinked against the sides of the bell whenever it was moved enough and once it was finished and hung outside, the wind would catch the light metal and toss it briskly to the side, emitting the pleasant chime from within the bell.

Yuki smiled and felt as though the bell chime signified his relationship with Haru. Yuki was the bell because he could not ring without help and Haru was the carefree metal strip that quaked solely in order for the bell to sound off sweetly. One could not function without the other.

He bit his bottom lip as if to punish himself for thinking of Haru again. It's not that it was bad; it was that he felt like crumbling to the floor without him. He sighed and sat down in his desk's chair, draping the towel on the back of it. He took the chime in his hand, smiled, and ran his fingers over the rectangle, dipping his fingers into the crevices of his carvings and the smooth surface of what he hadn't touched yet.

It needed something else, he determined, staring at it. He leaned back in his chair and looked up. It had to be something that matched the rest of the chime, something that represented Haru or himself in someway. His eyes wandered around the ceiling for ideas and ran all along the paint on the walls until he reached his bookcase. Upon reaching it he noticed a pale pink book binding that seemed to call out to him. He got up and walked over to it, reaching out and grabbing the book tentatively.

It was a flower book, or more correctly, a guide to flowers. He opened the book and aimlessly looked through the pages, remembering that someone had once told him that flowers were bringers of happiness and love. Perhaps the answer he was searching for was hidden in the pages as he flipped through them.

He stopped at one page and stared at the flower depicted. The flower itself was a bit tragic looking but seemed to have beauty attached to its white drooping petals. He whispered the name of the flower and then backed up into his chair, sitting and reading more about the intriguing flower. A smile crossed his lips.

"Perfect."

/-/

Kyo stared forward from his crouched position on the roof, deeming it a worthy time to start getting ready again. He had cut last period in order to come back to the house to prepare for the anniversary dinner he was going to share with Tohru that night. Shigure had suddenly decided (in fact he had left right after dinner the previous night) to spend some time with Hatori and never told the household when he was coming back. As for Haru, he had some modeling business to deal with like he had already told Kyo, so he wouldn't be home until late that night. It was perfect; there would be no interruptions at all, for once.

He had a few minutes until Tohru would be home and they were, as he planned it, going to sit down together with hot cups of cocoa and watch a movie that she had going on about wanting to see. He decided against taking her out to a theater because there would be far too many people there and he just wanted it to be the two of them. After the movie, he was going to prepare her dinner as she relaxed with a book (or "some other girl crap," as Kyo put it) and they could just eat together, enjoying one another's company.

He couldn't get over how perfect it was. He was bursting with joy like a kitten with a new thing to chase after and play with. Tohru was going to be so excited—he hadn't told her a thing, Haru had sworn to secrecy, and Kyo decided that Shigure wasn't trust worthy enough and hadn't told him anything. It was only a matter of time until she would get home to a clean house, clean dishes, clean laundry, clean everything because Kyo wanted to _really_ surprise her.

Unfortunately for Kyo, _he_ was going to be the one who was surprised.

"Kyo-kun!" cheered a voice after Kyo had come inside to wait for Tohru. He froze, however, after hearing the voice. _That wasn't Tohru… it almost sounded like—_

"Guten tag!" squealed Momiji as he burst into the house loudly. Kyo's jaw clanged to the floor as the blonde nonchalantly took his shoes off as though he didn't have a care in the world. Kyo slammed his jaw back into place and caught Momiji in a fierce headlock, rubbing his knuckles into the back of his head and yelling at him. Oh, but he was crying on the inside.

"You stupid—what the hell are you doing here?! You're gonna ruin everything you stupid damn bunny!! Go play with a ball or something, jeez! This was my time with—"

He silenced himself as he caught Tohru in the corner of his eye. She was looking at him with curiosity and he knew exactly why. The day's plans had been a secret, of course, and he hadn't told her to not make any plans with anybody else for fear that she would figure it out. He slowly released Momiji and became deaf to his wails. _I've only got myself to blame, dammit!_

"Ah, Kyo, I was worried because you weren't there during last period," said Tohru as she scooted out of her shoes. Momiji grabbed her hand and looked up to her happily after she properly stepped into the house, still looking at Kyo. The cat boy blushed a bit, biting his bottom lip.

"Ah… well, I wasn't feelin' good so I came home instead of wasting my time in that class."

"Kyo-kun is sick?" asked Momiji as though it was actually a good thing. Tohru grew worried.

"You're sick? Do you want me to make you some soup?"

That was the last thing he wanted! He had wanted her to relax all day, not come home with the world's most energetic kid and have to cook something for her "sick" boyfriend!

"No! I'm not sick, I'm fine! I just wanted to come home early, is all!" he yelled, accidentally too angry. Tohru flinched at the volume of his voice and straightened as though she was in front of a military officer.

"R-right! Sorry to—"

"Don't apologize, Tohru-kun! Kyo-kun is just a butt head," said Momiji as he stuck his tongue out. Kyo fumed some more, pissed off that he wasn't able to tell Tohru not to apologize. He felt like the bad guy while Momiji was the superhero. Hell, he _was_ the one dressed up all silly.

"Damn rabbit, shut up!" He had to save this day somehow. "Why don't you go home and leave Tohru and me alone?!"

"'Cause Tohru-kun said I could watch a movie with her!" Momiji whined. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a DVD box. "I bought this so Tohru-kun and I could watch it today."

Kyo's jaw dropped again upon seeing the DVD. It was the one _he_ had bought to watch with Tohru!! He hung his head sadly for a moment (which confused the heck out of Tohru) until his shoulders started to rise and tense up. He straightened again and lunged angrily at Momiji, screaming obscenities. Neither Tohru nor Momiji knew why Kyo was acting so fiercely, but he didn't care. His day with Tohru was being completely ruined!

After Tohru had gone upstairs to change out of her school clothes, Momiji pouted as he sat on the couch with his legs crossed. Kyo was grimacing on a different couch—a loveseat even—because he had decided to watch the movie with them anyway. He sadly looked at the table where he had put the DVD and picked it up without saying anything. Momiji saw him do this but didn't catch the name of it before Kyo slid it under the seat.

_Maybe he'll leave after the movie… and then I'll just cook dinner for her. That should be enough…_ He couldn't sit still. He was too angry with the way things were going to stay put. It was then when Tohru came down, smiling softly.

"Kyo, did you clean the house?"

He turned red and didn't face her. This wasn't the way he had wanted her to find out.

"Y-yeah…"

She knelt on the floor beside the armrest of the loveseat and put her elbows on the rest, leaning forward to kiss Kyo on the cheek. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

"It was easy," Kyo replied, looking at her from the corner of his eye. She got up and sat down next to him, looking to Momiji.

"Momiji-kun, would you mind putting it in? Or would you like me to?"

"I got it!" cheered Momiji. He jumped up to the occasion and gladly fiddled with the DVD player underneath the TV as Tohru intertwined her hand with Kyo's. He sighed and tilted over to rest his head sadly on her shoulder.

The two stayed like that up until Kyo's neck started to hurt and he sat up. He was both surprised and happy when Tohru leaned over to him and rested her head on his shoulder for the remaining half of the movie. Momiji entertained himself with both the movie and some strange candy that he had brought with him.

Tohru wiped the tears from laughing out of her eyes as Momiji took the DVD out of the player.

"Hehe, what a funny movie! Oh, thank you for coming with it, Momiji-kun!"

Momiji smiled cherubically. "It was nothing, Tohru-kun! I had a great time besides Kyo-kun being a meanie."

Kyo let that slide because Momiji was gathering his things and that could only mean one thing—he was leaving!

"Oh, are you heading home, Momiji-kun?" asked Tohru as she noticed the same thing. He nodded.

"Ja! Papa said that he's taking me out tonight for dinner with Momo-chan, so I can't miss that opportunity. She doesn't know that I'm her brother, but she knows that we're related somehow. I'm very excited."

Tohru giggled gleefully. "Aw, that's awesome! I'm happy for you, Momiji-kun. Do you want me to walk you to the edge of the foundation?"

"No, that's okay Tohru-kun," he answered. The trio headed into the entrance hall, where Momiji put on his shoes and jacket. He smiled to the both of them and waved.

"Auf wiedersehen!" he chimed before sliding the door open. Tohru and Kyo bade their own farewells to the boy until he was out of sight. Tohru carefully slid the door closed and looked back to Kyo.

"Ah, Kyo… why were you so upset earlier?"

He held up one finger to tell her to wait and he stepped into the living room again. She waited and blinked owlishly until he came back, an object in his hand. He held it up so she could see it.

"… Kyo… that was…" she stammered, but she couldn't finish. She looked to his face sadly. "I'm sorry, Kyo… I didn't know that you had gotten it for us to watch. I had just gotten so excited when Momiji offered to watch it with me, th-that I didn't even think—"

"It's okay, it's okay… you didn't know that I had made plans or anything because I didn't tell you. Plus, he didn't buy it for you; it's his copy, so you can have this one. It's fine."

"Is… this for our anniversary? … Is that why you cleaned, too?"

He nodded to both questions. She reached out to touch his hand and he gripped hers tightly and pulled her toward him so they could meet up for a kiss. Luckily, Tohru put her free hand in front of her so that they wouldn't be close enough to make him transform. When they parted, Tohru's sad eyes met with Kyo's.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. Hey, go sit down and relax or something. I'm makin' dinner tonight."

Tohru blinked three times in surprise. "Really?"

"Well unless you hate my cooking! I don't have to! Slave over a stove if you want, jeez!!" Kyo found himself raising his voice again, so he took a deep breath, calmed, and squeezed her hand lightly. "I'd like to cook for you, if that's okay."

Tohru smiled. "I'd love to be able to eat your cooking. You cook very well."

"It's 'cause my master hated cooking."

"Kazuma-san?"

Kyo nodded. "Yeah, he absolutely hated it. When he did cook, whatever he made tasted like crap, so I just did it for him. Damn leech."

Tohru giggled and unlinked her hand from Kyo's. "Ah, is it okay if I relax in the bath for a bit?"

"Go ahead. This shouldn't take more than…" He ran the cooking procedure over in his head. "… Maybe twenty minutes or so?"

She nodded and kissed his cheek before dashing upstairs, leaving Kyo to stand in the hall. He sighed happily and decided that his day wasn't ruined after all. However, as he went to go grab ingredients for the dinner, the doorbell rang. He froze as though a giant block had just landed on his head.

"… What… the… fuck."

He turned on his heels and sped toward the door angrily, hoping it was just someone with a package or something and would go away. However, when he got to the door and opened it, his eyes met with a familiar face. They trailed down to meet with an even more familiar face, partially hidden behind the first person's skirt. Kyo had to keep back a grunt. It was Kisa and her mother.

"Ah, so someone **is** home. I was worried for a moment there," spoke Kisa's mother. She patted Kisa on the head before urging her forward. "Tell Shigure-san thanks for taking her for the night, as I've got this dinner meeting to attend to and can't take care of Kisa. But you knew that already—I'll be back to pick her up later tonight, okay?"

"Ah?" was all Kyo could manage before the woman bowed and headed back to her car without so much of a goodbye. Kisa looked up to Kyo.

"Where's oneechan?" she asked sweetly. Kyo stared at her.

"In the bath."

"Oh… will she be out soon?"

"She just went in… why are you here?"

Kisa flinched slightly, startled with his tone. He sighed, slapping his forehead. _If I wanna marry Tohru one day and have kids, I'm gonna have to learn how to deal with them. Kisa isn't gonna bite me… well, actually, she might._

"Ehhh… listen, Shigure isn't here. I dunno when he'll be back, actually…"

"Oh… mom made plans with Shigure-jisan earlier this week for me to stay until later tonight…"

"Y-You did?" Kyo said through grit teeth. _Shigure… you left after making plans and not even telling anyone about it!??! I'll fucking kill you!!!_

"Uh-huh…" was all Kisa said in reply. Kyo shook his head and rubbed his hand over his eyes. _Deal… deal… just make her dinner, too. It'll mean a lot to Tohru…_

"… All right… well, are you hungry? I was just about to make Tohru dinner… and I should have enough ingredients for three people to eat."

Kisa's eyes brightened. "Really? I can eat with Kyo-kun and oneechan?"

"Yeah, as long as you earn your share. You gotta set the table, okay?" Kyo said, feeling very content with himself and how things were going. It wouldn't be just him and Tohru, but that was okay now. Kisa could be like their future daughter—Kyo turned red at the thought.

"Okay, I can do that," replied Kisa. He led her into the kitchen and divided out the ingredients, measuring and gathering utensils in order to cook the meal. Kisa sat on a stool and watched him mix together what needed mixing and heated what needed heating and taste-testing whatever needed to be tried. He let her have a taste as well.

"Mm! Yummy!" she cheered after swallowing. Kyo grinned and went back to the stove without noticing Tohru standing in the doorway watching him until Kisa called out, "Oneechan!" He turned around and said her name. She giggled and hugged Kisa in her arms.

"Kisa-san! What a surprise!" she ruffled the tiger girl's hair and then looked up to Kyo. "Kyo-kun, it smells wonderful in here."

"Th-thanks, I… I'm glad you think so. But Kisa can only eat if she sets the table."

"Oh, right! Sorry… I forgot…" the child said sadly and turned away from Tohru to go to Kyo. He looked down to her with a half smile on his face.

"It's fine. You and Tohru can set the table for me."

Kisa brightened once again at the thought of doing something with Tohru and the two girls headed into the other room. Kyo gazed back at the cooking dinner and sighed. _Yeah… everything's all right. I'm still pissed at Shigure for not telling us that he promised Kisa's mom to take her in… when he gets home, he's getting' it…_

His thoughts interrupted themselves. _… Wait, Kisa's mom is picking her up later… and I think by that time, Haru's gonna be home… that means I'm not gonna have any time alone with Tohru… and tomorrow's the cultural festival and I'll be around ALL of those people…_

He glared at the pot below him and stirred the liquid a little faster with the spoon, muttering under his breath.

When the girls came back in, they discovered that dinner was ready and were eager to help Kyo get everything out onto the table. Once everything was ready, they knelt down in their respective spots and graced the meal. Obviously afterwards, they dug in.

"It's so good, Kyo!" said Tohru with a smile. Kisa had similar compliments and Kyo found himself once again the great living tomato face. They ate quietly, mostly talking about Kisa's time at school and what was going to happen at the cultural festival the next day. Kisa was doing much better with making friends and she spent a lot her time with both her few school friends and Hiro.

"I hope Hiro-kun will like them," she said softly, looking a little feeble. "I'd be sad if he didn't like my new friends."

"I'm sure he'll like them a lot, Kisa-san! I bet you have wonderful friends," Tohru said. Kyo simply nodded as he deemed himself not good at those sorts of things.

As for the cultural festival, it sounded to Kyo that with all of the different types of stands, it was just going to be one big noisy mess. Tohru tried to persuade him otherwise, but he seemed to be fixated on that idea. Kisa seemed excited by the fact that so many things were going on. When Kyo informed her in a monotonous voice that Haru was going to be dressed up to bring customers to the stand, her interest in the day grew even more.

"I hear that they bought the outfit at Ayame's shop," said Kyo. "Or at least that's what Momiji told me."

"It sounds exciting," said Kisa happily, her eyes soft. Tohru made a sound and leaned back to peer into the entrance way as someone opened the door. As he greeted the household, they recognized it to be Haru's voice.

"Hatsuharu-san, welcome back!" Tohru called to him. He walked into the room and looked to Kyo. It took him a moment before noticing Kisa.

"Ah, Kisa?" he said quietly, kneeling down near her and pulling her into a hug. "Hey there, what're you doing here?"

"Mommy has a dinner meeting," was her reply. He smiled and then eyed Kyo again. The cat's left eye twitched a bit and Haru guessed that there were a few disturbances in the household that day, not just Kisa.

"Haru-chan," started Kisa, "oneechan says that you're dressing up tomorrow…"

Haru, despite the fact that he had been modeling for a few weeks now and that this was his younger cousin, turned red. "Aah… well, yeah… my classmates went ballistic over the fact that I'm a model and decided to make use of it to gain popularity among the stands."

After a few more minutes of idle chatter, he stood up and Tohru's eyes followed his ascent.

"Ah, Hatsuharu-san, are you hungry? There might be some leftovers…"

"No, I'm not—I ate with Kohiko. Thank you though," he bowed his head a little and told them he was going to head to bed and after some "good nights," he went upstairs to do so. Kisa looked down at her few plates.

"Um… I'm done eating…"

"You did a good job eating all of that," said Tohru with a smile. Kisa nodded and said, "Well… it was yummy…"

"It's not as good as Tohru's cooking," muttered Kyo. Suddenly, the front door burst open and voices clattered through the entrance hall, the first firm and cutting.

"You. Stay."

"But Haa-san—"

"No buts. You're too much of a nuisance. Did you forget that you were supposed to watch over Kisa tonight?"

"… Uh-oh…"

"'Uh-oh' is right, you idiot!" yelled Kyo from the dining room. Obviously, the two who had just arrived were Shigure and Hatori, and Shigure had probably been grating on Hatori's nerves since the previous night. The doctor certainly looked very relieved to be able to dump the man back at his house.

"Kisa, I'm here to take you back to your mother's. I told her that I was able to since I had to drop this mutt off," said Hatori, pushing said man into the hall. With a bit of help from Tohru, Kisa cleaned up her dinner plates and placed them into the sink. Kyo relieved the two of their dish cleaning duties to take care of it himself so that they could say goodbye to each other. Once they had, Hatori and Kisa exited the house.

Shigure got a fierce scolding from Kyo for what he had done and was sent straight to bed like a child who had broken his mother's rules. Tohru giggled as Shigure moped down the hall to his room and leaned her body against the refrigerator.

"Kyo?" she spoke softly as he came back into the room. He looked tired from all of his yelling and his hard work, but he looked up to her attentively anyway.

"Hnn?"

"… I know that you probably wanted today to just be you and me…" she said and he willed himself not to nod furiously. She smiled warmly, her eyes meeting with nothing in particular. "I really appreciate what you did today though, even more than if it had just been the two of us. Thank you for not kicking Momiji-kun or Kisa-san out of the house…"

"The entire thing pissed me off," Kyo said quietly, "but I knew you're happy with those guys. I'm not gonna be a jerk to you just because I want something to do something a certain way."

"Thank you, Kyo, for everything you put up with today," she said as she walked to him. He put his hands to her shoulders and leaned in for a kiss goodnight, breaking apart afterwards. They walked upstairs together and separated once they got to Tohru's room. Once she was inside, Kyo closed the door for her and walked toward his room.

"Hey," came a voice. Kyo looked to the side to see Haru peeking out from Yuki's room.

"What?" Kyo snapped quietly. He was tired and wanted to go to bed, and therefore didn't care about whatever the boy had to say.

"What happened today?"

"Ugh… Momiji came home with Tohru along with the DVD I bought for her."

Haru winced and could only imagine the trouble that caused. "Ah… I'm sorry to hear that…"

"It's okay… I've got my whole life to have Tohru to myself. I'm just glad that she had fun today," Kyo said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He couldn't see Haru's smile in the darkness.

"Yeah, that's good. Well, good night," he said. Kyo nodded and walked off as the ox boy shut the door to finally go to sleep.

/-/

Kyo was right about at least one thing: the cultural festival was crowded and noisy, but as Tohru had predicted, it was also a lot of fun. The classes were bustling with joy as they sold the pre-made bell chimes and took orders to make other ones. Yuki was probably the happiest person there, however, as he was allowed to talk with Tohru and Kyo and most importantly, Haru. But Haru hadn't shown his face at all, even though the festival was already a little less than two hours into it.

"Don't worry, Souma-kun," said Tohru to her friend. "I'm sure that he's still getting ready for today."

Yuki looked to her and smiled. "Yeah, I know. It's nice to be able to speak with you again, Honda-san. Has that stupid cat been treating you properly?"

Tohru giggled as she heard Kyo mutter something to her side. The only reason he didn't yell at Yuki for what he said was because he was secretly happy for Yuki being able to speak with them again.

"Of course he has," said Tohru softly. She proceeded to tell him the happenings of the day prior until they heard a squeal coming from one of the freshman stands. The three of them looked over with confused looks on their faces until they spotted, at last, Haru. Yuki put his hand in front of his lips and giggled into his fist as he watched the boy standing there with his usual dazed expression as girls (and some boys) squealed around him. Yuki was reminded of his own experience at the festival last year and couldn't help but finally look at it fondly.

It was Momiji who first came to the stand to look for Yuki, since Haru couldn't. He smiled and greeted Yuki with enthusiasm. "Hey, Yuki-kun! Haru-kun says he wants you to come over and rescue him!"

"You are his prince after all," added Tohru with a cheery smile. Yuki ran his fingers lazily over the necklace's charm as he often did and said, "Isn't it the knight's job to save the prince?"

Kyo grimaced at the terms they were using and decided to start taking personalized orders instead of "listen to that damn crap" anymore. Tohru giggled.

"You should go tell him that he's slacking in the knight department then," she suggested and Yuki deemed that a worthy enough excuse. Momiji stayed behind as Yuki went to finally be able to speak with Haru face-to-face after more than three months of silence.

"Eeee! It's Yuki-kun!" squealed some of the first years as he came over. Haru turned and his face brightened upon seeing him. The fact that he was wearing a long leopard print velvet coat with a fluffy black collar didn't faze him any longer. He was too happy to see Yuki. He scampered over and caught him in a tight hug, one that Yuki openly returned.

"Hey," said Haru almost casually. Yuki smiled and ignored the fact that there were people around him and Haru. That warmth was a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time and it was all he needed to keep him content.

"You're tall…" Yuki said as he realized the obvious fact. Haru ceased the embrace in order to point down to his boots.

"It's not real leather, thank goodness," he said. "Ayame picked out the entire outfit… I hope you don't mind."

"No, I like it a lot," said Yuki. His eyes were bright and smiling and it was the only hint that he was bursting with glee on the inside. "What took you so long?"

"Kohiko stopped by—she's my agent—with the excuse of wanting to visit the school. I think she just wanted to see my outfit or something. I'm really sorry it took so long; I was getting kind of angry."

"Is it uncomfortable?"

"Not really. The fuzzy collar is tickling my neck a bit—"

"Yuki-kun, Hatsuharu-kun, may we take a picture of the two of you? It's for the yearbook…" interrupted a short girl with long hair and glasses. They looked at her and saw a digital camera in her hands.

"Uhh… uh…" was all Yuki could say before Haru caught his open mouth in a kiss, knowing full well that Yuki would be too interested in kissing him to get mad about the girl snapping a picture of their first kiss in ages. While that was somewhat true, Yuki put up a bit of a fuss.

"Haru! I… that wasn't fair…" he said. Haru kissed his cheek, trying to get used to being able to kiss Yuki whenever he wanted again.

"I'm sorry… I'll go see if she'll delete the picture."

"N-no… it's okay. I guess I don't really mind," Yuki said as a blush claimed his face. He took Haru's hand in his. "Do you think that your classmates will let you come with me back to my stand for a little while?"

"Well, Momiji was able to go…" said Haru with a bored look on his face.

"Momiji isn't the main attraction of the stand," Yuki reminded him. "But maybe they'll let you anyway."

But before Haru could, the two found themselves surrounded by girls.

"Oh Yuki-kun! We found out that the man who supplied us with the outfit for Hatsuharu-kun is your brother!" said one.

"Yeah, yeah! And so he prepared something special for you, too!" exclaimed another. Yet another squealed, "Now you and Hatsuharu-kun can match!"

"Uh-oh…" was all both Haru and Yuki could say before Yuki was taken away to get redressed. Haru tried to rush off in order to help, but the girls stopped him.

"Hatsuharu-kun, you pervert! You can't see Yuki-kun naked!" giggled some raven haired girl. Haru's face went blank and he decided against telling them that he was _way_ ahead of them.

He waited for Yuki by sitting on a stool next to the stand and aimlessly playing with one of the two belts he had wrapped around his thigh. He saw Tohru walking toward him.

"Hatsuharu-san, where is Souma-kun?" she asked upon reaching him. He tilted his head toward the exit to the boy's bathrooms.

"They're making him get dressed up. I didn't know that they picked an outfit for him, too."

Tohru giggled and said, "You look very nice in what you're wearing, so I'm sure that Souma-kun will look nice, too."

"Well, he looks good in anything," Haru commented. Honestly to Haru, the outfit he was wearing was nothing compared to some of the things Kohiko put him in. The outfit was actually quite simple and consisted of the velvet coat, a tight black shirt, and tight fake leather pants. The only things out of the ordinary were the two belts around his right thigh and the fact that the top button of his pants was undone, exposing a bit of his stomach. That and the shirt was so tight that it rode up to further show off his abdomen, something he was a little uncomfortable with.

He could barely even imagine what they were going to dress Yuki up in. Would it be a dress like they had apparently done last year? He wished he had been there for it. He had just decided to ask Tohru about it when the girls brought Yuki back out. Upon looking at him, both Tohru and Haru blushed absolutely crimson.

Although Yuki was grimacing, he looked wonderfully sexy. To match Haru's coat, the girls had forced him to put on close-fitting leopard print pants that hugged his backside rather tightly and the top consisted of a loose black jacket that was only buttoned from the bottom of the collar to just above his navel. His face was red thanks to being shown off like this and he walked quickly over to Haru.

"I think I liked the dress better," he said rather bitterly. Tohru had nothing to say so she just stood there with her mouth open in surprise. Haru blinked when Yuki held up a small piece of paper between his first and middle finger. It read, _Feel free to keep the outfits to yourselves, Haa-kun and my dear brother! With love, Ayame!_

"I found it in the coat pocket," Yuki explained. He looked to Tohru's cherry face. "Honda-san, I'm sorry that you have to see me dressed all foolishly… again."

"Aah… ahh… no… um… you look… aah…"

"Sexy," Haru finished as he snaked an arm around Yuki's hip and held him close. Tohru stammered some more and Yuki commented on how he wasn't sure which he disliked more: being called cute or being called sexy.

"You don't like it?" asked Haru, loosening his grip on Yuki. Yuki put his hand to his face.

"Ah… well, it's not that I dislike being called it… it's just embarrassing…"

"But it's **me**."

Yuki looked up to him with soft and wide eyes. They closed slightly as he nuzzled his crimson face into Haru's neck as if to hide it. Tohru faced Haru with her mouth open and her eyes closed in both amusement and confusion.

"I'm going to head back to our stand, okay, Souma-kun? You do look very n-nice…"

"Sure, it doesn't—oh hey wait a minute! Haru, with all of the commotion, I forgot to have you ask if you could come back to my stand with me…"

Haru looked to one of his classmates who had been drooling over the two and asked her permission to be able to go freely around the festival. She nodded in response and told him that he was allowed to do whatever he wanted. So the three of them walked over to the stand and instantly met with Kyo's comments on how they looked.

"Jeez, don't you two look special," he said. He had a half-eaten rice ball in his hand and half grin on his face. "Did you go shopping together this morning?"

"Shut up you stupid cat," snapped Yuki. "Ayame picked these out for us."

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I guess," Kyo sighed. Yuki's eye twitched and he raised a fist, eager to connect it with Kyo's face, but Tohru stopped him.

"Ah, Souma-kun, didn't you have something for Hatsuharu-san?" she asked. Haru looked to him.

"Really?" He sounded like a child who had been honored with his very first ice cream. "What is it?"

"… Come with me," Yuki said as he pulled Haru toward the door out to the hallway. For once, no one noticed them and they were able to sneak out. Haru followed closely behind as Yuki led him through the empty halls all the way to the lockers. They stopped there and Yuki put his hand to the lock of one of them, turning it this way and that until it came unlocked. He opened it and reached inside, but didn't retract his hand right away.

"Close your eyes and hold out your hands," he ordered of Haru and once he obliged, Yuki brought out the gift for him and placed it delicately in his palms. As he was told to, Haru opened his eyes and gazed at the object.

"Ah… Yuki, this is…"

He loved it. He absolutely loved it. Yuki had given him a bell chime like he had hoped he would. The bell was painted a glossy black and had small patterns carved in a band around it. Haru's eyes trailed down to the metal rectangular piece and he smiled at the pictures carved into it.

On one side, Yuki had carved (quite nicely, in fact) a cute cow standing alone under a cloud filled sky. Upon further inspection, Haru realized that the clouds were shaped like the ones they saw so long ago outside in August on that first day that Yuki actually went out of his way to spend time with Haru. Haru chuckled softly as he also noticed the musical note next to the cow's head and then turned it over.

Carved into the other side, there was a round, somewhat familiar window and standing upon the frame was a small mouse. Below the window and the mouse, however, were a few groups of a type of flower that Haru didn't recognize. Yuki saw him looking at it and decided to explain.

"They're called 'snowdrops,'" he said. "Apparently they start growing in late winter and in early spring and…" He suddenly grew embarrassed over the flower's symbolism and stuttered, "It's n-not a native flower to Japan… but it…"

"I'm spring, you're winter?" Haru guessed. Yuki nodded and Haru guessed further, "And this flower is what connects us?"

Yuki nodded again, glad that Haru figured it out for himself. He quietly added, "It represents the fact that… we are… one."

Careful of the object, Haru pulled Yuki into a tight hug and closed his eyes, savoring the warmth and feeling of Yuki in his arms. Yuki returned the tight embrace and shut his eyes and saying that he loved him over and over and that he couldn't wait until he returned.

"Yuki," Haru whispered. "Yuki…" He quieted himself and instead occupied his mouth with nibbling lightly on Yuki's ear. Yuki rubbed his face into Haru's neck.

"I never want to leave you," he said. "I'd go crazy without you… I hope you don't mind that when I get back home, I'm never leaving you alone."

Haru shook his head. "I don't mind at all. You… are so important to me."

"Is it okay if I keep your necklace even after I come back?" Yuki asked. Haru lightly pushed Yuki away in order to face him and trail his eyes down to the necklace. He had been worried that Akito had taken it from him because he hadn't noticed it earlier.

"You can keep it for as long as you want me around," he said. Yuki nodded.

"Then I guess I won't ever be giving it back."

"Well, I hope not," Haru added with a light smile. Yuki wrapped his arms around Haru's neck and leaned into him for a kiss, one that Haru delighted in returning. This wasn't like the one that the girl took a photo of; this one was needy and deep until they broke for air. Yuki tilted his head in order to kiss at Haru's neck affectionately, something that they both knew made Haru want to melt right then and there.

"Yuki…?" he said softly.

"Hnn?"

"Did… you mean that?" he asked. "About the necklace, I mean."

Yuki looked a little confused. "Of course I did. … Is everything all right?" His face paled a little. "You're not worried about anything, are you?"

"No, no, not at all," Haru assured him and reached out to stroke Yuki's cheek with his thumb. Yuki's eyelids fluttered and closed halfway.

"I'll never let anything happen to this necklace… I love you too much to let that happen."

"I'm glad to hear that… oh, do you think we should head back?" Haru asked. Yuki shook his head.

"Not yet… there are too many people in there. I want you all to myself," he replied, grabbing a fistful of Haru's velvet coat. Haru took a moment to look at the chime in his hand.

"Can I put this down a sec?"

"Sure—just put it back in my locker for now…"

He did just that before squeezing his arms around Yuki's waist. The only thing that was tighter than this embrace was Yuki's pants, and even that fact was questionable.

"Maybe," Yuki started, "Hatori won't make me go back to the house tonight… maybe he'll let me stay with you…"

"As much as I would like for that to happen, I don't think he will let you…" said Haru sadly. Yuki could only nod, because he found that his throat hurt too much to say what was the truth.

/-/

After the two were finally back into their school clothes, they and Tohru and Kyo decided to spend the last few hours of the festival away from the school. Yuki was worried that this was against Hatori's terms, but Momiji interfered.

"Ah, Ha'ri won't know a thing if you don't tell him," he said with a tilt of his head. "I'll keep Ha'ri distracted if he comes looking for you, Yuki-kun! He won't be here for another two hours, anyway."

"Hmm… I guess you're right…" said Yuki after thinking it over thoroughly. Kyo nodded.

"Good then. Let's go grab some dinner—I'm starving!"

"Momiji-kun, are you going to be upset if you can't come?" asked Tohru. Both Yuki and Kyo somehow knew that she was going to be worried about Momiji's wellbeing and smiled as Momiji assured her that he would be fine. Eventually, she believed him, and the four went off to walk to a restaurant.

"Where should we go?" asked Yuki. Haru shrugged and swung his arm gaily back and forth, and because their hands were intertwined, also swung Yuki's. Tohru and Kyo were holding each other's hands as well and the sun was setting slowly behind the four of them—it was truly a pleasant time for the quartet, something they hadn't all shared in a while.

"We should just go to whatever restaurant we find first," Kyo suggested. "But it can't be too expensive, all right?"

"If it is, I'll cover for us all," said Haru as if it were nothing.

"Oh, no, you can't do that!" Tohru protested with a shake of her head.

"But I want to," was Haru's reply. This time, it was Yuki who shook his head and objected, "Well, let's just avoid the expensive ones altogether, okay? That way no one has to pay for all four of us."

"I'm payin' for Tohru," Kyo claimed and she wasn't even given to chance to oppose the suggestion thanks to Haru stating that he would pay for Yuki's. Eventually, Yuki and Tohru discovered that they had no choice in the matter, and found themselves in a restaurant, sitting next to each other and across from their respective men. The four were all talking happily about the festival and doing everything they could to stay cheerful throughout the dinner. However, as the separate bills came (Tohru and Kyo on one, Yuki and Haru on the other), they knew that their happiness was coming to an end.

They stared up at the window-lit school in sadness and Kyo couldn't help but fidget uncomfortably. _Damn friggin' Akito… why can't he just drop dead already?!_

"We should… probably head inside…" said Tohru with her eyes downcast. Although Haru was ready to say goodbye (he had been preparing since after dinner), Yuki was not. He stayed still.

"Honda-san, Kyo, you two head inside. Haru will be there shortly."

"But…" began Tohru, thinking of what might happen if Hatori were to find out they had left the school. Yuki smiled lightly.

"It's all right. There's no way that Hatori would know that we went away from the school grounds whether we were standing here or not. Plus… I don't think he would honestly care…"

Nothing else was said on the matter and Tohru bade Yuki a farewell. He said his goodbyes to them and watched them leave. He knew very well that Tohru had tears in her eyes when she said goodbye to him but he also knew that he could no longer do anything about it. He faced Haru.

"… When I come back, I'm going to prove my love to you…" he promised. Haru chuckled softly, smiling lopsidedly.

"I already know that you do, crazy."

"Well, then it's to make up for all of the time that I denied my feelings for you unfairly. I've been able to do a lot of thinking while in my old room and it's always about you and how I treated you back then. If I were you, I would have given up."

Haru reached out and pulled Yuki to him. "… You're not mad that I didn't give up, right?"

"No, of course not. Now **you're** the crazy one for even thinking that."

"Maybe we're both a little crazy then," Haru determined. Yuki's eyes slid shut and he rested his head on Haru's shoulder.

"I'm crazy… about you."

Haru wasn't able to reply, for a car's headlights could be seen at the edge of the school's parking lot. Hatori was here for both Yuki and Momiji. Despite this, however, Yuki refused to let go of him, grabbing Haru's shirt tightly and gritting his teeth.

"Not yet," he whispered as he opened his eyes. They were brimming with tears. "Not yet. I don't want to go yet."

"Yuki…" said Haru sadly and he opened his mouth to say something else, but Yuki spoke again.

"I bet that this is just another measure to break me down," he muttered, allowing his tears to fall and soak into the fabric of Haru's shirt. "I bet Akito told Hatori to allow me to speak with you and touch you simply to make me say goodbye again."

"I don't… think Hatori would do that… Shigure told me that he regrets what he's done," said Haru positively. He rubbed Yuki's back in order to try to calm him down as Hatori stepped out of the car, pretending to be immune to the hugging figures.

"I'll go get Momiji," he told them as if he were just talking to himself. After he disappeared into the school, Haru continued, "… I think Hatori allowed you to speak with me today because he wanted to help you. He probably thought the opposite of what you're thinking now—that if today hadn't happened, you would have seriously broken down, or something."

He leaned back and stared deeply into Yuki's eyes. "Would you have preferred that today didn't happen?" At Yuki's shaking head, he added, "Would you rather sacrifice an entire day with me so that you wouldn't have to say goodbye to me?"

"Haru… that's not what I meant…"

"I know it isn't. What I was saying was that this goodbye is far from a final goodbye. You know that I'll see you on Monday and the day after and although you won't be able to speak to me, it'll be the same as ever. We've gone all this time and not been able to talk… next week and the week after and the week after that will be no different."

Before Yuki could say anything, Hatori returned outside with Momiji. To say that the blonde looked sad would be the understatement of the century. Yuki sighed and started away from Haru, but Haru grabbed him by the wrist to pull him back into one more kiss. Hatori occupied himself with getting Momiji into the car although Momiji was more interested in watching Haru and Yuki.

At last, they broke apart and Haru gave Yuki's hand one final squeeze before letting go. Yuki was silent, as expected, during the car ride home, and couldn't even bring himself to watch Haru stand alone in the parking lot as they drove away.

/-/

Yuki stepped out of the bath, rubbing his hair with his usual fluffy white towel, feeling clean and refreshed after his relaxing wash. He had nothing but a robe on covering his thin body, but the heat in the house was on, so there wasn't much to worry about. Besides, he was on his way to his room and saw no need to be fully dressed while traveling from one room to another in the dark hallways of the Souma compound.

Once he reached his room, he happened to look into the mirror he kept on his bureau and gasped. This was the same mirror he had looked into just a week ago… and yet Yuki swore he saw Akito in the reflection the glass of the mirror. It startled him. He dropped his towel in surprise when he realized that the reflection was his own and not Akito's at all.

It took him a moment of staring at the mirror before he bent down to pick up the towel and stared at it instead. He convinced himself that it was simply because the lights were out and he had his bathrobe on. The darkness had played this trick on him before, so nothing was stopping it from doing it again.

Arms suddenly slinked around his waist. "Yuki…" His breath was hot on Yuki's neck, his body almost colder than the air that hung in the house. Yuki froze up as Akito scraped his fingers along Yuki's chest, bringing his robe apart slightly.

"How are you doing tonight, my Yuki?" Akito asked. "Mmm… you smell good. And your hair is still wet…"

Yuki shuddered at both the hum Akito made with his comment on Yuki's scent and the feeling of Akito softly kissing his neck, his hands ever roaming on his chest. It had been a long while since Akito took advantage of him like this—he must have something important to say.

There was a bite among the kisses that Akito laid on Yuki's neck and while that wasn't much of a surprise, Yuki still hissed softly at the action, involuntarily tilting his head to give Akito's lips more access. Yuki mentally scolded himself for doing so as Akito quickly used that to his benefit, sucking and kissing almost too gently. His fingers outlined Yuki's collar bone and then slowly wrapped around the cord of Haru's necklace. Yuki's thoughts halted and his eyes flickered down to watch his fingers intensely.

He let out a disgruntled moan as Akito's other hand reached quickly down past his navel, trying to back his hips up as if to get out of Akito's grip but finding that Akito had his own body pressed up firmly against his. He knew better to use his arms to push him away. That would only make things worse. Akito moved his fingers in intimate circles on Yuki's inner thigh, trying to arouse him as he spoke softly.

"Yuki… you are so delicate… I feel as though I may break you."

"You'd… ahhn… you'd probably delight in it…" Yuki responded before biting his lips lower lip, screwing his eyes shut, wishing that there was no heat gathering, wishing that he was completely numb and couldn't feel Akito's fingers or his lips upon his neck…

Yuki's eyes opened quickly, mimicking the sound of the necklace breaking—a loud snap that echoed in Yuki's mind. He looked down, his breath quickly stopping and his eyes wide, to see the necklace dangling from Akito's hand. A bead slid down the cord and fell off. It bounced on the ground, rolling underneath their legs.

"Oh…" started Akito and Yuki could hear the smirk in his tone as he went on, "I'll have to get Shigure to buy you another necklace…" He dropped it to the ground. "Or should I say… Hatsuharu?"

_Oh no… no… please—that did not just happen… I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming… Haru's necklace is not broken, it's not… it's not…_

Yuki gave a cry when Akito cupped his fingers around Yuki's half-hard arousal, squeezing almost angrily. Akito brought his other hand up to Yuki's neck, forcing his chin up.

"Yuki, I bet you wish my hands were Hatsuharu's…" Akito said dryly, moving his hand slowly up and down Yuki's length, emitting small shivers from the boy. "I bet you want to be in his arms all the time… do you think he'll want you back? After I'm done with you, he probably won't be interested and he'll move on to something better…"

Yuki hissed in response, shutting his eyes again. He had to bite his tongue down hard in order to keep from moaning at Akito's hand motions. Akito dragged the hand he had around Yuki's neck down his chest, rubbing his fingers over an erect nipple.

"My dear sweet Yuki… the outside world brings nothing but **pain**," Akito told him, emphasizing his words by giving another hard squeeze. Yuki let out another cry and jerked his hips back against Akito's. Akito chuckled at this, continuing his cruel ministrations and adding another by pressing his own hips against Yuki's backside.

"You're whimpering, Yuki," he pointed out and Yuki knew this to be true. He just couldn't hold it back with all of the actions upon him. Akito's voice grew infinitely more harsh as he added, "Whimpering like a little slut…"

"I'm not… like that…" Yuki tried to combat Akito's words. Akito wouldn't back down, of course. He _hated_ losing.

"But Yuki, you are. Think about it… you were with me all of these years and then you fled, wanting the attention of someone else… you found it in Hatsuharu's arms and used him, right? Then you got bored of it and ran back to me."

"That's not true at all!" snapped Yuki before giving a low moan as Akito rubbed his thumb delicately over the head of Yuki's erection. He shuddered again, hating himself for it.

"Of course it is… Hatsuharu doesn't make you cry out the way I do." He demonstrated and got the result he wanted, biting at Yuki's neck fiercely. "See? He doesn't have the same effect on you as I do…"

"Yes he… ahhn… he does… I lo—…" Yuki caught himself before finishing, but knew it was already too late.

"Let me guess… you **love** him… you want him to touch you all over and fuck you like you deserve to be fucked…" Yuki hated his choice of words but knew nothing could persuade the man to use anything else. Akito went on, moving his hand more quickly up and down, producing more whimpers and moans from Yuki. "You beg him for more, don't you? He's probably bigger than me, isn't he?" Yuki wanted to nod but couldn't. "So it must hurt more, doesn't it?"

When Akito got no response to this question, he turned Yuki around abruptly, slamming him into the wall and holding his wrists tightly together in one hand, holding something else tightly in his other. Yuki gasped his response, shuddering at the intensity of Akito's attention on his arousal.

"It hurts when he fucks you, doesn't it?!" Akito asked again, leaning sultrily against him, his lips on his neck, his hand still pumping. Yuki wasn't sure what to respond with so he still didn't answer, save for more whimpering, and Akito had to content himself with that.

"You know Yuki… you used to beg me to do this to you…"

Yuki opened his eyes, staring at the man. He couldn't believe this; just a bit ago and leading up to this point, Akito was… _sweet_ with him, almost. Yuki thought that in his dying days, Akito had gone through some sort of change. This was a brutal slap in the face for Yuki and he realized that Akito wasn't ever truly being sympathetic. He was, in actuality, waiting until Yuki felt comfortable to finally break him down, to crack the front and get under his skin.

The things he was saying about his relationship with Haru were… unbearable. His mind fled to the necklace and he grew scared, wondering what Haru would do when he found out that his necklace—his favorite, the one Yuki had promised to protect—had been broken. The very thought was squeezing his heart so hard that Yuki thought he would just die right then and there.

"You begged me to go faster," Akito grinned, licking the underside of Yuki's jaw. "You begged me to go harder… you always begged me for more, Yuki…"

"N-no…" Yuki said weakly. He swallowed back a moan and repeated his word more firmly. One of his eyes slid shut involuntarily as he let out a moan, crumpling forward a bit. He knew what was on its way. Akito moved his hand faster, running his teeth along Yuki's neck.

"Yes you did… you begged for more and more like a little slut… ever whimpering… you're doing that now, aren't you? Your words betray your own thoughts, your body…"

Yuki cried out, arching his back away from the wall, his vision almost going completely white. He shuddered back down into a limp standing position, the only thing keeping him still standing being Akito's body against his. He figured that Akito would let his wrists go and leave him there, liquid splattered onto his robe and trickling down his thigh.

But no; Akito had much more in mind.

He used his grip on Yuki's wrists to pull him over to the bed, throwing him down. Yuki had tripped over his own feet on the way over, so he fell rather clumsily, landing on his side. He glared up at Akito as the man got onto the bed. He grabbed Yuki's hair and kissed his neck hungrily, moving his semen covered hand up Yuki's torso. Yuki felt disgusting—not disgust_ed_. He felt like a horrible being used only for sex and pleasure—

… Had Haru used him? No, Haru would never do that. With startled, shaking eyes, Yuki realized that perhaps _he_ had used Haru just like Akito said. His breath turned into worried, scared pants as he remembered telling Haru that he would never use him, and yet… _I have… god… Haru… I'm sorry— I promised you—I promised you so much…!_

"Do it Yuki…" said Akito softly, breaking his plummeting train of thought. "Tell me that you want me to fuck you…" Yuki kept his eyes shut, keeping silent. He could feel Akito's arousal hot against his thigh. "Tell me that you want me to go faster, Yuki… and harder…"

"Stop it…" Yuki heard himself say, despite his position. He really shouldn't have if he hadn't wanted to get hurt. Instead, he was thrown violently on his stomach, pulled up by his hair so he was on his hands and knees, back curved.

"You pathetic little whore!!" snapped Akito, viciously pulling on Yuki's hair. "You know how much power I have over you, don't you? Do I really have to remind you?!"

"No!" Yuki choked out. _Get him off of you… get him off of you!_ his mind shouted, but Yuki knew better than to do so. He would only use it against him. He might hurt Tohru, or Haru, or anyone else. It was better if Yuki hurt on his own, he determined.

_Especially since I've hurt Haru enough…_ one part of his mind said. He could not hear the voice of reasoning behind the almost booming sound of Akito partially disrobing himself. Yuki took the chance to try to escape. As long as he never hit him back, nothing would happen—if he ran, he might actually be safe…

On second thought, maybe not. Akito managed to grab his ankle as he ran, bringing him down to the wooden floor hard. Yuki had to quickly jerk his head to the side to avoid hitting his chin.

"You worthless… selfish…" Akito muttered, crawling over to him. Yuki tried to scramble away but Akito pinned him firmly down and flipped him over, straddling his stomach. He reached a cold hand to his neck.

"I suppose I was wrong to refer to that pathetic Hatsuharu as a slut when you're the only whore I see…"

"I am not," Yuki said and he tried to make his voice sound stronger, but it was impossible to do so. He reached up to pull on Akito's arm and the older man took the chance to grab his wrist.

"I'm dying, Yuki…" he said, his eyes half-lidded and dark. "I'm in constant pain… the least you could do is stop resisting me. You'd make it much easier for me—or perhaps you enjoy shortening my life?"

_I do. I do you cruel son of a bitch…_

_… or I am the cruel one? _His mind was like an ink blotch, unstable and unsure of what it truly was supposed to be, letting others chose it's identity for it.

Yuki hadn't noticed that Akito's other hand was hidden in his kimono. He didn't until Akito flicked the hand out and brought it across Yuki's wrist. At first, Yuki felt only a pinch of pain, but when he realized that there was blood trickling down his arm, his eyes found his wrist and found the cut… Akito had been hiding a razor in his robe.

"I'll take you with me, Yuki…" he said. He looked ready to cut himself as well and all Yuki could do at the moment was stare at his bleeding wrist in slight horror. Slight horror simply because the rest of him was boiling with rage. He was _not_ going to die with Akito. He was _not_ going to die there.

He was going to finish this.

He took his other arm and backhanded Akito across the face, sending him to the floor. The razor went flying off somewhere, clanking faintly against the wood. Akito's hands were pressed against the floorboards, his eyes wide, astonished, looking at them.

"Get off of me," Yuki ordered even though his voice was shaking. When Akito didn't comply, he managed to sneak out from under him and step over him, holding his wrist. He looked back and saw that Akito, although his eyes weren't so wide anymore, hadn't moved. He shuddered and headed through the hallway.

_I need to get to Hatori…_ Yuki thought desperately, staring at the rapidity of his blood flow from his wrist. It wasn't very far from his room to Hatori's office—he would have to cross two hallways separated by an inside garden. It wasn't very far.

Or, at least it hadn't _looked_ very far when Yuki started out. He saw quickly that the hallway was twisting and turning before him, growing longer and longer right before his very eyes. He was surprised when he felt himself slam against the wall nearby, his breathing choked like quick panting. He smeared his own blood on the wall as he slid down it, his strength dwindling.

"Hatori…!" he gasped as he fell completely to the floor, not even able to keep from hitting his chin. It didn't hurt much anyway—he was falling too slowly… and he was also numb. So very numb. He started seeing things flashing before his eyelids and different scenarios racked his mind in no particular order.

_—his wide eyes, filling with tears as he looked up to him in disbelief—_

_—she actually cared about him and wanted to be his friend even if her memory was erased—_

_—"Nnnnh… feels so good…!! Ha-aaru…I… nng… love you…"—_

_—why does Ayame always act like that? He would never accept the snake as his brother…—_

_—anyone else would have been disgusted by Akito's touch, but he was used to it. He was too used to it to be disgusted anymore—_

___—running his other hand through Haru's hair, surprised to find it soaked with sweat—_

___—that stupid dress was heavy, but he couldn't go against his upper classmen—_

___—"I didn't think so…"—_

___—he couldn't stop himself from pushing into her, knocking her down, and breaking her arm on that fateful day—_

___—staring at Haru's face and turning him down again after the endurance run and then secretly hating himself for it—_

___—she pushed Akito. She pushed him. Pushed. Him. He was still grateful—_

___—"I'll never let anything happen to this necklace… I love you too much to let that happen."—_

___—Honda-san… her beautiful face… muddy and streaked with tears and rain… she looked so broken that night with Kyo—_

___—willing to fight Akito—_

___—"Haru…"—_

He laid, still, on the hallway floor, his eyes crashing shut.

* * *

**Shinikakeru** (v): to be dying; to be about to die; to be close to death 

It's not over yet. ::bows and runs away::


	15. Nezumi Reprise

Hiya. SakuraBubbles here.

Sorry this was delayed, but look how long this is!!! I promise you that this finale is worth it, and I don't like bragging, so hopefully I won't get bad karma for saying that.

**Disclaimer**: I own it now. I didn't tell you?

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Nezumi Reprise

There was a bird singing softly nearby and the darkness melted away and a pale light replaced it. An outline—a window frame—became clearer and the branches outside of it shook slightly in the wind. The bird sang and sang a sweet song on its perch on the swaying branches as if it needed the world to hear its happiness. A cool breeze tickled the curtains and they reached into the room trying to grasp anything but failing. There was movement, but only a little.

"If it's chilly, I can get you another blanket."

A voice. Haru's voice. It couldn't be. _I'm dead, aren't I?_ What was that sound? … Breathing. Breathing? _My breathing?_

"You okay there? Need me to get Hatori?"

Haru again. Hatori? Hatori couldn't help. _I'm dead on the floor in the hall. I died. Akito killed me._

"Yuki? … Maybe you're still asleep after all."

Something escaped pale lips and came up hotly from a throat. It was another voice.

"No…"

_My voice?_ Something moved beside the bed. A bed. _I'm in a bed?_

"Yuki…"

Haru's voice again. And then it was silent for a bit as the bird outside the window stopped singing as if it was trying to listen for more conversation. A hand covered another and there was warmth. Lots and lots of warmth.

Yuki's eyes had been half open, staring blankly, until then. He blinked once or twice, his eyes adjusting to the white walls and ceiling of the room, and turned his head. Haru was sitting in a chair at the side of the bed he was in and holding his right hand. Yuki felt hot pain in his left wrist and he looked over to it, quickly reliving the moment when Akito cut him on the wrist. There was an IV hookup and a monitor beeping softly at his side.

"Kyo donated his blood," Haru said when he saw that Yuki had his eyes toward the cords full of blood. "Only zodiac members can donate to other zodiac members and you needed blood. Kyo matched."

"Kyo… where is he?"

"Outside with Tohru."

"Honda-san…"

"… She's in horrible shape…" The pain seemed to linger on Haru's voice. "She blames herself for what happened."

Yuki looked almost bitterly to the window. "It wasn't her who took a razor to my wrist. … Where's Akito?"

"His room, where else? He confessed doing it."

Yuki snaked his hand out from Haru's grasp and rubbed his eyes. It felt odd to move the limb, as if he had been frozen in stone for days and days.

"How am I still alive?" he asked.

"Hatori heard you going through the hall. He said that you were screaming."

Yuki blinked. "I was?"

Haru nodded. "Yuki… um…" He looked uncomfortable. "I yelled at Tohru… when Hatori called to tell us, Tohru started to cry—we all thought you were going to die and she blamed herself. She still does, but that's besides the point… I went Black and yelled at her and had a fist fight with Kyo because he was angry enough at what had happened to you. We both took our anger out on each other and tussled our way out of the house. … We owe Shigure a new door."

Yuki tried to smile but it seemed as though his lips wouldn't work that way. Haru continued, "Hatori informed us that you needed blood and we came straight here. Kyo was a match, as I told you, and so he donated. I apologized to Tohru and made sure that she knew that it wasn't her doing at all. I felt so bad for the things I said…"

"… I'm sure she forgives you," Yuki said sadly. He couldn't think of much to talk about and apparently by the silence hanging in the room, neither could Haru. Yuki didn't like not knowing what Haru was thinking about, but even so, he could not bring himself to talk. So much had happened… he winced, imagining the sight that befell Hatori when he found him, covered in blood and semen in dark hallway.

The memory of it made him sick and he reached for the (bed pan). He didn't have much in his stomach but what little he did have, he coughed it up into the metal pan. As he did, he felt a warm hand rubbing his back, a soft voice coaxing him into calm. After Yuki was done, Haru took the pan over to a nearby sink and washed it out, trying hard not to get sick himself. Yuki slumped back onto the bed, feeling dizzy after his prior action. _Where am I, anyway?_ He looked to Haru as if to ask him but stayed silent, realizing that he was still at the main house in Hatori's office. If he had been in a regular hospital, he doubted that Haru would have been able to use the facility so freely.

"Hey," Haru said softly, returning to the side of the bed with a small cup full of water. "You think you can drink this on your own?"

"Mm," was all Yuki could give in response, reaching with a shaky hand. Haru shook his head and led Yuki's hand away. He put his hand to the back of Yuki's head carefully, bringing his cup wielding hand close. He pushed Yuki's head up and tilted the cup against Yuki's lips, willing his mouth open. At first, the liquid sat idly in his mouth, for he felt too weak even to swallow.

"Swallow, c'mon," coaxed Haru, rubbing the back of Yuki's head with his thumb. As he allowed the cool liquid to wash over his tongue and seep down his throat, Yuki determined that he was the best feeling he had felt in a while.

"There," Haru's voice brought him out of his haven and the cup was removed from his lips. He moistened them with his own tongue, looking at Haru's face before the ox boy turned away to refill the cup. He set down on the bedside table.

"I'll keep this here until you need it again."

"… Haru," the word almost choked him. "Akito… he broke your necklace."

"I noticed. It's all right."

"It's **not** all right," Yuki grunted angrily. "I wanted to protect that from being broken… I hate myself for letting him find out that it was you who had given it to me and not Shigure."

Haru leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "You've got me now. You don't need a stupid old necklace."

"But…" Yuki tried to protest and almost didn't hear the door opening.

"Oh, Yuki-kun, you're awake."

It was a soft feminine voice and upon inspection of the speaker, both Yuki and Haru were surprised to see Kana walk in with a faint smile on her face. Haru retracted his arms to his sides, looking almost bashful.

"He threw up a little bit ago… upon waking up."

"Oh—you took care of it?"

"Yes, he didn't have much to vomit…"

Kana looked at Yuki's face. "Are you feeling particularly sick?"

"No…" answered Yuki. Kana ran her eyes over the IV hookup and fiddled with a few things.

"So you just needed to get it out of your system."

Yuki didn't respond and found himself staring off at nothing. Haru looked to Kana.

"I heard from Shigure that you just had a baby."

"Oh! Well, I didn't **just** have him!" Kana exclaimed, turning red in the face. She giggled nervously. "I actually just returned from maternity leave."

"Is he big?"

Yuki couldn't even half smile as he listened to their conversation about the child, even though he wanted to. He knew that Haru had always liked babies and toddlers and grew incredibly interested when they were around. Yuki recalled the time when Haru first met Kisa and how excited he was to hold her, even though his own hands were only so big.

As for his inability to smile, he couldn't explain it. Haru was around, so he should be dancing around the room in glee, or so he thought. Why was he feeling this strange way? Why was he looking at Haru with such malice in his eyes? He didn't even know.

There was a knock on the door before Hatori poked his head into the room.

"Kana, is he awake?"

Kana nodded to her mentor and he continued, "Do you think he would mind being visited by one very impatient red head accompanied by his very worried girlfriend?"

There was a shout following that but both Hatori and Yuki ignored it.

"Send them in," Yuki said, trying to sit up. Kana helped him by moving the bed up and readjusting his IV cords to allow more movement. It was then when Yuki first caught a glimpse of his bandaged wrist. He glanced at Haru before Tohru and Kyo came in, wondering if he had seen his cut.

"Souma-kun!" cried Tohru, coming to his side. He couldn't smile at her, either.

"Honda-san, how have you been?" he asked rather casually.

"Ah… worried about you!"

Kyo was behind her, looking away at nothing in particular. Yuki eyed him and he returned the gaze.

"Thanks, stupid cat," Yuki muttered. Kyo knew exactly what he was thanking him for.

"It was nothing, ya damn rat."

Kana hid her confusion on why they were referring to each other as animals and instead decided to let the teenagers talk. She walked to the door and smiled to Hatori.

"Hello, doctor. He's doing well—his blood pressure is normal and his breathing is fine. He vomited upon waking, apparently, but the white-haired boy took care of it."

"All right, thank you. … How's…"

"The baby? He's a great big bundle of joy. He's so funny! He has the cutest little expressions on his face all the time!"

Hatori smiled. "That's good."

She nodded with a giggle and passed by, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. He shut the door behind him and wandered in to hear the delightful conversations of the four teenagers in the room.

"Honda-san," spoke Yuki, suddenly remembering the reason he went to stay with Akito in the first place, "were you able to keep smiling while I was gone?"

Tohru nodded and gave him a broad example, sliding her eyes shut. He nodded.

"Good to know."

"When are you coming home?" asked Haru. Yuki blinked, thinking that this was an odd question to ask.

"When Akito… you already know…"

"What?! You mean you still have to stay?!" yelled Kyo. Hatori took this time to busy himself with viewing Yuki's medical data, which was on a clipboard hanging from the end of his bed frame.

"Well I don't know! I only just woke up you stupid cat!" snapped Yuki. The effort it took him to raise his voice started to give him a migraine. He sighed, wondering how much blood he lost.

"I'm sure Hato—…" Tohru was weary of the fact that Hatori was in the room so she converted her sentence. "I'm sure that you can come home at least to recover…"

"Yeah, I mean, it's not… safe to leave you with Akito any longer," said Haru. "He's definitely capable of killing you. By now we'd both be dead."

No one saw Hatori flinch and almost cut his finger on the paper's edge. He looked to Haru yet said nothing.

Yuki thought about it, looking into Haru's worried eyes. _All I want is to go home to you—_

Akito's words pierced through his own thoughts. _"Whimpering like a little slut…"_ and _"You pathetic little whore!!"_ He then vaguely wondered if Haru would take him back and looked away sadly. _I truly am tainted…_

"Yuki."

All four teenagers looked over to Hatori, the speaker.

"No matter what Akito says, you are not to return to him until you have fully recovered, even if the recovery process lasts longer than Akito's remaining life."

Tohru's eyes brightened like the rest of the others, but it was her who seemed to shine with happiness. "Aaah!! So… so, Souma-kun can come home with us??"

"He needs to stay in the hospital for what's left of today in order for me to keep an eye on his blood flow," Hatori confirmed. "But I should have him back by tomorrow morning. I'll go speak with Akito."

And with that, he left the quartet behind.

/-/

Akito stroked the small head of the bird perched on his fingers, grinning cruelly. He was out half naked on the porch in the sunlight, basking in it like the god he wanted to be.

"It's only a matter of time…" he whispered, "… before Yuki realizes that I'm all he's got… it's quite sad really, that the first thing he'll think is that Hatsuharu is the one to turn to." He shook his head and made a noise with his tongue. "Tsk, tsk…" He looked up to the pale blue sky. "Yes, only a matter of time. I've broken him enough to see the truth, now."

He heard the main door to his room open and the bird on his finger fluttered off. He glared inside to see Hatori in the midst of getting to the floor to bow to him. He looked away again, pleasantly ignoring him by picking out dirt from underneath his nails. Hatori knelt in the middle of the room, his hands idly resting on his thigh.

"You should come inside before you make your sickness worse."

"What does it matter?" asked Akito.

"… At least do up your kimono properly," Hatori replied. Akito let out an aggravated sigh and pushed his arms into the sleeves of his kimono and tied it around his waist. He got up afterward and walked to him, reaching out to touch his face with a clammy hand as he slowly sunk to his knees. Hatori knew better than to flinch away.

"Imagine, Hatori… you came so close to being able to look a killer in the eye… though technically, the first of the two attempted murders would have been entirely your fault. If that had happened, we would both be killers, wouldn't we?"

He was trying to get under Hatori's skin and blame him for what could have been Haru's death. Although it was true that he would have had to share some of the blame if it had happened, he had been able to save Yuki and hopefully redeem himself in the teenagers' eyes. Hatori wouldn't let Akito sway him so easily.

"I've given the okay for Yuki to return home."

"If he does, Honda Tohru becomes the next mother."

"No, she won't," said Hatori firmly. "You've already chosen Kagura. Or perhaps I should say 're-chosen?'"

Akito said nothing to this and simply curled his mouth into a smirk and brought his hand away. For a moment, Hatori thought that Akito might have been planning something behind that smirk, but he ignored it and continued.

"It's me who places the curse upon the child anyway." He swallowed and wondered why he was only just now standing up for himself—and the rest of the family. "I placed the curse on you, after all." He had always hated bowing down to someone four years younger than him. At the time he was told to place the curse, he had no idea what he was truly doing, and wasn't sure whether or not he regretted his actions of his four-year-old self. "… It's you who should be bowing to me."

There was a loud smack that emphasized the hit Akito presented Hatori's face with. Hatori, with his head tilted and a bit turned from the slap, narrowed his eyes.

"Don't overexert yourself, Akito. Wouldn't want you getting sick."

_This isn't going as I planned,_ thought Akito. _He's getting too ahead of himself. Whatever. I'll go back to the original idea._

"Fine then. Take Yuki back to that house. I don't really care what you do with him."

Despite the fact that Hatori was suspicious of Akito giving up so easily, he bowed his head and got up to leave. Akito stayed still and watched him leave before curling up on the floor, trying to decide whether or not he felt pleased with himself.

As for Hatori, he stood against the doors to Akito's chambers and kept quiet. Shigure was sitting on a chair nearby, so Hatori eyed and walked over to him. Shigure stood up, closed the book he had been reading, and trailed his eyes to Akito's door.

"He… gave up a little too easily, didn't he?" Shigure pointed out.

"Don't remind me… I'm trying not to think about it. Maybe he's just withering away at last… along with his defiance."

Shigure shrugged. "One can only hope. Say, is Yuki-kun all right? When Tohru-kun and the rest of them came out of the room, I noticed that they didn't exactly look… well, happy."

"I'm going to have to look into Yuki's mental state. He was nearly killed by the man he fears most, and before that, sexually abused by him."

Shigure blew upwardly out of his mouth to puff some bangs out of his eyes. "As if anybody didn't already know that."

Hatori shrugged. "I have a feeling that Yuki wouldn't like for anyone to know just how deeply Akito has wounded him. I don't even know if he's realized how he's… I worry about his mental wellbeing. I think it would be wise to keep everyone away from him for a bit, even Hatsuharu."

"What? And I suppose you're going to place this responsibility on my shoulders? I don't think so, Haa-san. Yuki-kun and Haa-kun won't want to be separated, and I'm not about to be the one to make them do it."

And with that, Shigure stormed off angrily down the hall. Hatori shook his head and reached into his pocket for a cigarette.

"I don't think that Yuki will want to be around Hatsuharu for quite some time."

/-/

Tohru couldn't help but feel an immense tug on her heart for the remainder of the day. She kept looking at Haru and wondering if he felt the same sort of tug, but his blank face gave her no clues. So she kept to herself, even during dinner and also thereafter. Kyo sensed that something was wrong with her but knew it had something to do with Yuki, so he left her alone, deeming himself unworthy of talking to her about it.

Tohru closed her door behind her and began to undress when she looked over to her mother's photograph. In the middle of unbuttoning her shirt, she walked over to the photo, picked it up, and gazed at it. She felt a twist in her stomach as she looked at it.

She hated hospitals ever since that day she knelt beside her dead mother, sobbing uncontrollably. Her mother had been taken away from her without warning and there had been nothing she could have done about it. It had been a long time since Kyoko died, but nevertheless, Tohru felt depressed about it.

And to think… that both Haru and Yuki had come so close to dying… the fear had been settled deeply in her heart, but seeing Yuki today in Hatori's office brought it all the way up to her throat. Yuki… hadn't looked well. His eyes were scary—he scared her with the way he kept looking so angrily at Haru.

Had no one else noticed it? Weren't Yuki and Haru in love? Why did he look so hateful toward him? Tohru was sure that she felt an aura of darkness around the gray-haired boy and she wasn't sure if that scared her more than his eyes.

Because his eyes… they looked like Akito's.

Two rooms away, Haru was feeling a bit uneasy—sick, even. He was dizzy as he stared down at the bed that he and the stuffed rat "Yuki-chan" shared and suddenly crashed into it, clutching the sheets tightly in his hands. He curled up slightly on top of the mattress, panting slightly.

Hatori had taken him to visit the place where he had found Yuki on the floor. Haru had been absolutely terrified at the sight. It wasn't the trail of blood on the floor that got him, no… but the large smear of blood on the white wall from where Yuki fell to the ground. He had felt his blood leave his face, go no where in particular, and had to crouch down to the ground to prevent from fainting. Black had been screaming about murdering Akito in his head up until that point. Upon seeing that, Black was silent and stricken with fear.

Haru realized just what Akito was capable of. He had known what he could do with his bare hands… and now he knew what he was able to do with a weapon.

Haru's eyes were dilated as he lay in a ball on the bed, thinking about the wall covered in blood. He needed to hold something, someone—and he reached for Yuki-chan, which had been resting on the pillow with its back to him. But from Haru's position, he couldn't reach it and he felt too uneasy to move any closer. He stretched a little farther and when he finally was able to touch the toy with his fingers, it rolled a little further away with the pressure of his fingers. He looked a little confused and tried to reach for it again, but still to no avail. He felt very cold, so he brought his hand back and had to content himself with bunching up some of the covers and hugging that instead. Something felt terribly wrong and he couldn't place what.

/-/

It started to snow the morning of the day that Yuki came home, something both Haru and Tohru saw as very special. As for Kyo, the only thing he saw special about the snow was the fact that school had been closed for fear of the upcoming storm that the meteorologists had predicted. Around noon, the snow had already amounted to about three inches, so the prints that Yuki's boots made were deep and crisp. He looked to the house that he had not seen in nearly four months and sighed.

"I guess I'm home."

Hatori said nothing, save for asking Yuki if he wanted any help with his bags. He knew very well that Yuki didn't exactly want to be back at Shigure's house, but what he didn't know—and he was sure Yuki didn't either—was where Yuki actually wanted to be.

Haru was a bit uncomfortable as Yuki entered the house (which soon resulted in a small gray mouse and an apologizing Tohru). Shigure had warned him earlier to not be too intimate with Yuki for his first couple of days home and to not hug or kiss at all until Yuki was ready for contact. Haru wasn't incredibly happy with the idea of not being able to hold him at all, but he was willing to do so for Yuki's sake.

After Yuki was human (and dressed) again, Tohru set out lunch for him and the others and he and Kyo were already bickering with one another like old times. Haru, for once, simply listened to them as he stared at Yuki with soft eyes. He was sitting next to the older boy with one leg bent on the floor and the other bent so that he could rest his chin on his knee. Right after Kyo stood up to challenge Yuki to a fight, there were a few knocks at the door. Tohru rose to answer it.

Yuki sighed a bit irritably after she disappeared out of the room. He hoped desperately that it wasn't anybody who was worried about his condition. With a grimace, he imagined that Ayame was at the door and how much noise that would be. He just wanted some peace and quiet, if that was even possible. He looked around for something more pleasant to look at and found himself staring at Haru. Haru caught his eye and smiled warmly, however, Yuki's reaction was a bit strange. He flinched and looked away, his eyes narrowing. Haru's smile faded as he tried to think of Yuki's reason for looking away so harshly.

Yuki, on the other hand, was simply trying to escape from Haru's kind glance. _I'm disgusting, don't look at me,_ he pleaded in his mind after Haru smiled at him and he had to look away and narrow his eyes.

Despite that, Haru misunderstood the action and was deeply hurt by it. _…Did I… do something wrong?_

"Ahh!! What the hell are **you** doing here?!" yelled Kyo as Tohru brought Momiji into the dining room. Momiji crossed his arms over his chest.

"I came to play in the snow with Tohru-kun and to see how Yuki-kun was doing."

Yuki held his head. "I'm fine, Momiji…"

Haru's eyes widened. For the first time, he had caught a glance at Yuki's wrist. The long sleeve of his shirt had risen up enough thanks to Yuki moving his arm to hold his head. The slash across his wrist had closed up but was still a deep red line that was somewhat hard to miss. The memory of the blood on the wall racked Haru's mind harshly but he couldn't bring himself to look away from the mark just yet. He wanted to take Yuki's arm in his hands and kiss the wound lightly but there were a few reasons why he couldn't. First on all, Shigure told him not to make any physical contact. Then there was the fact that the action was rather silly and he feared that Kyo would laugh at him, or worse, Yuki.

Lastly, he was worried that Yuki would get angry at him for either touching or acknowledging the wound. In the end, he had to look away.

He realized that he was looking at Momiji and blinked owlishly. Momiji looked a bit taller than he had looked just a few days before. His face looked a little thinner, too. Perhaps he was finally maturing, or perhaps it was just Haru's imagination.

"So can we play in the snow, Tohru-kun?" asked Momiji curiously. Haru shrugged lightly so no one could see him do it. _Well, if he's maturing on the outside, he's not maturing on the inside…_

"You're not worried about Yuki at all, you damn rabbit!" Kyo growled. "You just wanna play in the friggin' snow!"

Momiji put his hands to his hips, harrumphing. "Whatever Kyo-kun! You just don't want me to play with Tohru-kun! You can't hog her!"

Kyo turned crimson and glared at Momiji as though he had accused him of committing adultery. However, nothing more was said on the matter and the group found themselves outside in the snow, Shigure included.

"Ah… snow… I remember once when Aaya and I were locked out of the main house, it was snowing and the air was crisp, and we only had each other to keep warm… and what better way to make body heat than—"

"That's enough!" snapped Kyo, raising his arm to punch the novelist in the face. Yuki had his hand over his grimacing face.

"Yes, really, Shigure. We just **ate**."

"Kyoooo-kun!! Yuki-kun! Haru-kun! Shii-chan! Come on out and play!" yelled Momiji at the top of his lungs. He was gathering snowballs in a small mound, preparing to fire them at Tohru, who also making snowballs. Kyo grinned and looked to Yuki.

"C'mon you damn rat! It's a challenge! I'll be with Tohru and you can be with Momiji."

"I'd rather just stay here, thanks," said Yuki with a sigh. Haru glared at Kyo.

"Idiot. He's trying to recover, and all you can think about is beating him?"

"… N-no! I was… kidding around. I didn't actually mean it as a competition," mumbled Kyo. Shigure guessed that he was mumbling due to the metaphorical foot in his mouth.

"I'll play, Momitchi," Shigure called to the blonde as he walked out to them. "But I wanna be with Tohru-kun on her team!"

"NO WAY!" yelled Kyo as he ran over and stood in front of Tohru as if to protect her. He was soon pelted in the head with a snowball from Momiji.

"Haha! So much for catlike reflexes! And I told you that you can't hog Tohru!"

So, reluctantly, Kyo wandered over to Momiji's side of the "playing field" and began to gather snowballs. He promised himself not to hit Tohru as the game begun and hoped she would do the same, but as he was hit in the arm with a snowball, he looked over for his attacker.

"Tohru!" he whined, emitting a giggling from the girl.

"Sorry Kyo! But a game's a game, right?"

And with that, it was truly on! … as Kyo put it.

But for Haru and Yuki, things weren't as exciting. Yuki sighed and absently watched the vapor rise from his mouth and disappear into the air. He eyed Haru.

"Don't you want to join them?"

"Not really. I'm too slow," Haru replied, also watching the vapor release from his mouth as he spoke. "Plus, it'd be uneven teams."

"Oh," was all Yuki said in reply. Haru smiled awkwardly and leaned against the side of the house, contenting his vision with the back of Yuki's head. People had always said that Hatori was as cold as snow, but sometimes Yuki surpassed Hatori's coldness greatly. Up until that point in time, Haru wasn't shivering. After Yuki's cold, sideways glance, however, his teeth were chattering.

_I must have done something to upset him,_ Haru determined. _I just don't know what. I wish I could hold him… this is like the perfect romantic type of setting, and I can't even hold his hand._

Yuki stared out at the fight, oblivious to both Haru's dismay and how much he was hurting. He was focusing more on his own pain. _Why… isn't he holding me? He's obviously cold… so why doesn't he do something about it?_ He looked down at his hands. _Can he really see the filth I have on me? Akito was right?_ One hand went up to grasp where he used to wear Haru's necklace, but of course, his fingers found nothing. _Is he mad that the necklace broke? … He doesn't want me back after I promised to protect it and broke it anyway. Haru, you bastard, it wasn't my fault…_

His ears caught the shuffling of Haru's feet and he turned his head to look at him. Haru saw him gazing and tried to think of something to say. _… Should I tell him that Shigure told me not to touch him? … No, I can't do that. Shigure said that it might be dangerous to his mental state if I were to hold him right away and if I told him that, he'd deny it and I'd give in and… he might actually get sick…_

_And what if he asks? What are you gonna do then, huh?_ asked Black from the back of his mind. Haru shook his head—which Yuki saw.

"W… What's wrong?" he asked. _Tell me… tell me why you won't—_

"Oh… oh, nothing," Haru replied. He bit his lower lip. _Shitshitshitshitfuck._

If they only knew what they were doing to each other.

/-/

The six of them sat around the table some hours later, drinking hot tea and sharing stories until Momiji suddenly stood, as it was time for him to go. Tohru cleaned up the dishes, bade goodnight to her housemates, and finally climbed her way up the stairs. Shigure was teasing Kyo about getting his "ass whooped by Tohru-kun" in the snowball fight, so he soon retired to bed, too, to sulk. Yuki was slowly nodding off on the couch in the living room until Haru woke him up.

"Hey," he said softly. Yuki's head lifted and his eyes were half-lidded and soft looking. Haru blushed, as he looked quite kissable, what with his mouth partially open and all, but could do nothing, for Shigure had entered the room.

"Ah, Yuki-kun, get to bed," he said sternly. "Looks like the storm blew over and school isn't going to be canceled tomorrow, so you have no excuse to stay up late."

Yuki blinked a few times as he tried to register what Shigure said before he finally got up. Haru stood from his crouched position next to the couch and followed Yuki halfway up the stairs when he heard Shigure's voice.

"Haa-kun, shouldn't you be down here?"

He halted and looked up to Yuki. Yuki had also frozen in place, wondering what Haru was going to do. He heard a sigh behind him and a small, "Good night, Yuki," before hearing the sound of the stairs creaking away from him. Yuki clenched his fist and turned to say something to Haru, but he had already disappeared into the living room again. Yuki shook his head, blinking back moisture from his eyes, and went into his room.

He gazed at his bed and saw the small stuffed animal rat that sat on his pillow like it alone owned the room. He stepped over to it and took it in his hand, lightly squeezing it. The toy was filled with beads from his head to its oversized flat bottom and the tail was long and lacked beads altogether. The tag had been cut off.

"Ah!!" he heard someone almost choke behind him. He turned around and saw Haru at the door, looking pale.

"Um… ignore that…" he murmured and stared elsewhere. He walked into the room and trailed his eyes up slowly to the stuffed animal in Yuki's hand. "… His name is Yuki-chan. I've had it for a really long time… looks really worn out, doesn't it?"

"Yes… it does," answered Yuki. "… Matches the real thing."

Haru looked up to him, startled, but their eyes met. Haru couldn't keep Shigure's promise up for much longer—Yuki had been taken away from him for a long, long time and even then, when he finally had him within arm's reach again, he couldn't touch him. He hesitated before leaning in—

But he stopped, his mouth slightly hanging open, as Yuki looked away.

"… Here's your rat," he said softly and placed it into Haru's hands. Haru's heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to understand why Yuki had refused him like that. He nodded and said, "… Good night."

Before he exited the room, Yuki called to him softly. "I'd… like a cow. Named Haa-chan."

Haru glanced back at him and slowly grew a smile on his face. He nodded. "I'll get you one tomorrow, 'kay?"

And with that last smile, Haru disappeared down the hall. Yuki went to his bureau and got out his nightclothes from the top drawer. For a moment, he hugged them to his body, ignoring how cold they felt from being kept away for four months. He hadn't bothered to unpack from his time away—more correctly, he hadn't gotten a chance to, yet.

After undressing and redressing into the new clothes, he stepped over to his bed and pulled down the covers in order to climb into the bed comfortably. He stretched after pulling the sheets back over him and then snuggled into his pillow. He shivered with delight as he took a breath in—his pillow and bed smelled like Haru. He sighed his name and moved the top of the two pillows to the front of his body and hugged it like a child would hug his or her favorite stuffed toy.

He turned on his side eventually and rested his hand on the pillow. The way he was laying reminded him of how he and Haru would some times sleep, with Haru on his back like the pillow and Yuki to his side, hugging him to his body and resting his head somewhere between his shoulder and chest. Haru would hold Yuki to himself with an arm around his body, the side of his face resting on the top of Yuki's head. He would use his other hand to stroke Yuki's cheek softly until they both fell asleep.

Yuki reached one of his own hands up to touch his face. He tried to mimic the way Haru's rough hands felt lightly stroking his face, but it was impossible. He continued, however, and closed his eyes, locking the memory of sleeping with him like that in his head. He wanted, even if just for a moment, to relive that, but as he only had his own body and a pillow, he gave up and brought his hand away.

With a start, he was stricken with a memory of when Akito had forced him into a similar position. However, this position was forced and not warm at all. Akito was lying like Haru would with his back to the bed and his arm around Yuki's body. But Akito was pressing Yuki to his body, forcing him into a tight hold. His hand was pressing his hand down into his chest so he could hear the beat of his heart. Yuki's arms were clamped tightly to his own body so that Akito couldn't force him to hold him because he wanted anything but to touch him.

_"Hear it, Yuki?"_ Akito had asked. _"I have a heart. You can hear it, can't you? Beating faintly…"_

Yuki had grimaced and replied, _"That's not what I meant by calling you a heartless bastard."_

Akito's low laughter echoed in Yuki's mind even as he hugged his pillow back in his room that night back home. He tried desperately to think of how Haru held him like that but once he would finally grasp the image, Haru melted away to be Akito instead. His words were echoing, repeating, over and over and Yuki felt like he was being covered up in spider webs—Akito's words only got worse… and in Yuki's current mind state, more true.

Slut.

Yuki suddenly gasped and started to grasp at his skin, trying desperately to pull off the "spider-webs" and the "filth" on his body. _Of course Haru doesn't want to touch me… I'm covered with filth. I'm tainted and ugly and disgusting. He's always been able to see the truth… so he can see the truth and ugliness that I have. And what's worse, I broke his necklace. He can't trust me with a necklace, let alone his own… everything._

"… Do you think he'll want you back? After I'm done with you, he probably won't be interested and he'll move on to something better…" Akito's words repeated. Yuki shuddered with a silent sob. He was truly convinced that Haru wanted nothing to do with him. _He knows I'm a filthy little slut. I never wanted to hurt him, but just being me hurts him. This… existence. It would have been better if Akito__ had _killed me.

Wait, shouted a voice in his mind. It never occurred to him that this voice sounded oddly like Akito's own voice. _Wait just a damn minute. Why should I be worried about Haru not trusting me? I'm the one who can't trust him anymore. He knew damn well what went on between Akito and I. If he really loved me, rather than keeping his distance, he should be acting like a real boyfriend and hold me. Is that too much to fucking ask?_

Yuki wasn't himself, but he didn't know that. That voice inside his head was _not_ his own.

_Haru doesn't love me. He probably_ did _use me for sex. No one else seems to have a fucking problem with doing it. That's all I am to everyone, all I'm good for. I don't think he_ ever _loved me. And… I think… no, I don't think I actually loved him. How could I? I was probably just putting up with him and stamped it as love. Love is fake. He is fake. I am fake._

He slowly let go of the pillow and turned around, his eyes narrow and glowing in the darkness. He ignored the sound of rats scurrying on the roof.

_The only person who isn't a fake is Akito._

And he would go to him.

/-/

The next morning, Yuki was silent as the four teens walked to the school and he busied himself with counting the lines in the sidewalk. Haru busied himself with staring at Yuki's back, as the gray-haired boy was walking in front of them all. Tohru and Kyo were walking side-by-side, hand-in-hand, and talking about the remainder of the bell chimes that needed to be given out to the people who had requested personalized ones. Haru silently wondered if Yuki had seen that he had hung the bell chime that he made by the kitchen's porch—near where they once watched the clouds. His face saddened, remembering how Yuki had evaded the goodnight kiss the previous night and thought, _do you even care anymore?_

During lunch, Yuki stayed off to the side with his homemade lunch (compliments of Tohru). Momiji stood in front of Haru and reprimanded him for, as Yuki overheard it, skipping history class.

"I had to go out and buy something that is a little more important than learning about the French revolution," Haru answered, shrugging. Momiji sighed and instead went to occupy himself with bothering Takei, the student body president, who, with a crimson face, avoided the cross dresser after telling him to wear the proper clothes. Eventually, Haru walked over to Yuki to talk to him but Yuki stood up, glaring at him. The glare stopped Haru in his tracks.

"What the hell do you want?" Yuki asked coldly. Haru swallowed.

"T… to um…"

"Hatsuharu-kun! We're going back to class now!" called one of his classmates. He looked to the clock on the wall and blinked, startled at how late it was. He looked back to Yuki. "… See you after school, I guess."

"Yeah," muttered Yuki. Haru turned away, smiling a painful smile to Tohru as he passed her, and left the room with Momiji and the others who came with him to the room. Yuki picked a tiny spot of lint off of his shirt nonchalantly—like he had, in essence, done to Haru—and continued with the rest of his day.

He exited the school with Tohru, Kyo, Haru, and Momiji, his goal for the evening in mind. They teenagers usually separated at the gates of the school, where Hatori would be waiting in his car to pick up Momiji and the others would go down the street to get to Shigure's house. However, Yuki stayed with Momiji, which Kyo noticed first, because Haru and Tohru had been talking.

"Hey, you stupid rat, you don't have to go to the main house anymore," he said with a grin on his face. Yuki knew that he would misunderstand the gesture. _Stupid cat._ By then, Haru and Tohru had turned to face him. Yuki smiled at the worry in Haru's eyes.

"I know. But I want to."

"W-what?!" squealed Tohru and yelled Kyo. Haru kept silent and gazed at Hatori as he exited the car. He addressed him by calling his name and then asked, "Do you have anything to do with this?"

"With what? I'm here to pick up Momiji."

"Yuki says he wants to go back to the main house."

Hatori trailed his eyes to Yuki. "Is this true?"

Yuki nodded. "I want to go back to Akito."

The silence following that statement was deafening. It was Tohru who first spoke after masking her worry with a shaky smile.

"Y-you don't really mean that, do you Souma-kun?" she asked. "You want to stay with us, right?"

"No, I don't. I want to be with Akito."

Tohru started quivering and for the first time in a long time, Yuki didn't care. His eyes… were so scary to her, narrow and mean. She looked down blankly before turning and running the other way. Kyo reached after her, swore at Yuki and called him a fool, then ran for Tohru in hopes of calming her down. Hatori escorted Momiji into the car and climbed into the driver's seat to give some silence for Haru and Yuki to speak. He knew they needed to. He hadn't anticipated that _that_ would happen.

Although they had plenty of silence to fill, neither spoke. In time, Yuki rolled his eyes and turned to get into the car, yet Haru grasped him in a backwards hug before he could move any further away from him.

"Yuki!" he gasped near his ear, clutching him tightly to him. Yuki's arms remained at his sides. "Why are you doing this?!"

"I can't stand you," Yuki muttered. "Let go of me."

"No. I won't," Haru replied almost angrily. "Why do you want to go back to Akito? What good will that do?"

"It'll get me away from you."

Haru rested his forehead on Yuki's shoulders and allowed for tears to drop into his fabric. He still held him tight.

"You… don't want this anymore?" He was obviously referring to the life he shared with him. Yuki shook his head, something he felt, not saw. "… You don't want me anymore?" Another no. "Why?!"

No answer.

"Yuki!!"

Still nothing, save for the force of him pulling Haru's arms away. Haru let go and backed away, his eyes darkening under his bangs. He asked Yuki to look at him and the boy decided to oblige. Once he was facing Haru, the mixed-haired boy shoved a small plastic bag toward him, pressing it into his chest and forcing him to take it. Haru's eyes were wide and dilated.

"I bought it for you during history class… because you said you wanted one," he vaguely explained. "I know that you don't want it **now**, but I have no use for it and I already took off the tag so I can't return it." His eyes narrowed as he zipped up his school bag and pulled it over his shoulders.

Yuki watched him start off and was a bit surprised when he turned again, facing him with cruelty in his eyes. Haru stared a moment before speaking.

"If I had known that taking a fucking razor to your wrist was the way to win your affections, I would have done that a long time ago."

Yuki's jaw dropped in surprise and he stood, bewildered as Haru ran off in the direction that Tohru and Kyo had run. Yuki's mouth slowly closed and without another moment of hesitation, he opened the door to the backseat of the car and climbed in, ignoring Momiji's glance. He held the plastic bag in his lap but hadn't bothered looking inside yet. He wasn't entirely sure if he would open it anyway.

/-/

Haru was never very good with directions, and that day was no different. He looked around for something he recognized and could therefore find his way using that, but nothing familiar was in sight. He had to will himself to stop running and did so too abruptly, for he ended up losing his balance and falling over onto the pavement. Wherever he was, he was in a lonely street, so no one was around him to see that, which he was about one percent grateful for.

"Yuki…" he whispered, bending his legs and curling into a lazy fetal position. One leg was still somewhat straight and Haru was sure that he had hurt it pretty badly, as his knee was pounding. He looked down to see that the fabric on his pants was ripped apart at the knee like he had expected and he could see a smear of red from beneath the torn fabric.

He hissed in pain and sat up to look at it, hoping that there wasn't any dirt in the wound. He noticed that there wasn't much and he carefully brushed at it, weary of the dirt on his shirt and just about everything else. His hands were burning with irritation from the fall as well.

The wounds and the irritation, however, were nothing compared to the clenched feeling in his heart like someone had reached in past his ribcage and squeezed it in their hand. He sighed and tried to organize the thoughts in his head, whether they were Black's thoughts or his own.

"Why… is he going back to Akito?" Haru asked himself out loud. "What did I do wrong? … Why couldn't **he** answer me when I asked him?"

The empty street also didn't give him an answer, so he had no choice but to stand up shakily and go find someone to ask for directions. As he noticed someone, he stopped in his tracks, realizing something with a terrified look on his face.

Going back to Akito meant that Yuki might be killed.

His eyes widened. Whether Yuki wanted him or not, he still loved him with all his heart, like he had since he was young. He was going to save him even if he didn't want to be saved. _Yuki doesn't deserve this… Akito doesn't deserve him. If he lays a finger on him, I'll kill him my fucking self._

And with that determination in mind, he hurried after the person he saw on the street and asked him for directions to the Souma House.

/-/

Yuki's eyes kept straying to the bag that Haru had given him, betraying the harsh thoughts that told him to get rid of the thing by chucking it out into the snow. As he sat on his bed at the main house, he had a staring contest with the bag until he finally gave in and crawled over to it, opening it at the flimsy plastic handles. He reached into the bag and pulled out…

A small stuffed animal. A cow.

Yuki's wide eyes blinked a few times until they noticed that there was a note tied around the cow's neck. He placed the cow in his lap after taking off the note and unfolded it. He instantly recognized Haru's writing and read it silently to himself.

_Yuki—_

You said you wanted a "Haa-chan," so here he is. And also, welcome back. I missed being able to see you and hold you and everything… and even now I can't. Shigure told me that it would be better if I kept my distance from you for the sake of your well-being. He said (these are his exact words), "snow will melt if it gets too close to heat." So, as much as I friggin' hated it, I was willing to do so that you could be okay. I wasn't supposed to tell you that but I felt I needed to. I don't want you thinking that I don't love you because it's not true. … At first, I was going to write that you make my world go 'round and I love you so much it hurts and all of that, but that's cliché. So I'll keep it simple because honestly, it's what I do best.

I love you.

—Haru

Tears blotched the ink on the paper as Yuki let them fall without restraint. The voices inside of his head were silent as he read the note that Haru must have written soon after lunch until his eyes were so blurry that he could no longer see. With a painful gasp, Yuki hugged the little stuffed cow to his chest tightly, saying Haru's name over and over. It became painful to even say his name, so he decided against speaking altogether.

He trailed his water-filled eyes up to the clock and realized with dread that he only had ten minutes until he was to see Akito. He could try to run… but to what?

He gazed back at the letter—now wet with his tears—and thought, _Haru wrote this a few hours ago… since then, I spat in his face and now I'm here… I… I've ruined what we had. I've hurt him so, so much… it's my fault for always thinking that I'm the victim… DAMMIT!!_

He rubbed at his eyes furiously, yet never let go of his newly given "Haa-chan." His thoughts continued to spin a negative weave in his mind, becoming thicker and thicker by the second. _If I were to run back to him now, he wouldn't take me back after what I did to him. The only thing that waits for me is hell. The only thing that waits for me is… Akito._

There's no reason for me to be here anymore anyway, he told himself. _I've pushed away everything… the cat, Honda-san, and now Haru…I loved him so much!! Why did I allow myself to believe that I didn't?! He wasn't disgusted with me… until now, that is. He hates me now, I know it. And for damn good reason. What the hell have I done? I deserve to die. Haru deserves… to find someone who will treat him better than I did._

As the clock softly sounded off the newest hour—what he thought was going to be his final hour—he slowly loosened his grip on "Haa-chan," but still held onto him. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back into the wall and tried to will himself to not feel so scared and trapped, but it was impossible. He was willingly putting himself in the hands of a murderous bastard—willingly putting himself at death's door. And he was full ready to step into it.

_It's what I deserve._

Akito was smiling as Yuki entered his room with his eyes empty and dark. _I knew it would work._

"See, Yuki?" he asked after commanding the boy to kneel in front of him. He reached out and took Yuki's face in his hands, pulling him over to his body and stroking his hair lightly. "I told you that Hatsuharu wouldn't want you back after you broke his necklace and had your fun with me…"

_Fun… he dares to say that this is fun…_

"That's not true…" Yuki mumbled. It suddenly felt weird for him to speak, like he hadn't spoken in a few days. "Haru… was…"

"Come now, Yuki," Akito coaxed, a little miffed that Yuki had put up a tiny bit of resistance. From what Hatori had told him, Yuki wanted nothing to do with Haru any longer and wanted only to be with Akito. If that had been true, Yuki wouldn't have reacted that way. He would have agreed with him like Akito had planned. Akito decided to try a different strategy. "He is worthless, anyway, Yuki. He doesn't deserve you."

"No," said Yuki, staring off into nothing as though in a trance. "No, that's wrong. It's the opposite. **I** don't deserve him. He deserves the world and I couldn't even give him a bit of that."

Akito grimaced and was a bit taken aback by Yuki's reply. That strategy wasn't working out either. But then, Yuki added something.

"… I deserve to die for what I've done to him."

Akito quickly covered his grimace up and turned the frown into a sly smirk. _That_ he could use to his advantage, although he wasn't fond of it. All he needed to do, he determined, was get Yuki back in his original mindset and everything would go as smoothly as Akito had hoped.

"Yes, Yuki… you deserve nothing but the worst."

Yuki nodded. "Yes… I only deserve you."

Akito pulled viciously on his hair with an angry growl. "And what was **that** supposed to mean?!"

Yuki whimpered in pain at getting his hair pulled at but was prepared to answer for his words. "You're the worst, Akito… if I deserve the worst, then you're the only thing I deserve. And I'm okay with that."

"How…" Akito brought his hand sharply across Yuki's face. "How **dare** you insult me like that… you're absolutely worthless! You can't even keep Hatsuharu nearby for very long because of your own foolishness... and didn't Honda Tohru.... didn't she pick that dirty foul **cat** over you? No one wants you Yuki. I'm **all** you've got."

"You're right. You're absolutely right," said Yuki. "I lost Haru because I'm a fool and I lost Honda-san because… she saw that Kyo was a better person than I was. I'll always love Haru and if he'd take me back—"

"Shut up!!" screamed Akito as he pulled Yuki into another slap. And another. And then he threw him down on the floor and took his cut wrist in his hand. "Do you see this?!"

He pressed his fingernail into the wound and Yuki cried out into the wood. _Haru…_

"This is what you deserve Yuki… and guess what…" he pressed a soft kiss to the cut and that seemed to hurt more than the first thing he did. "Once you're dead… I'll move on to Hatsuharu."

"… No…"

"Hehehe… I've always wanted to see how **he** is… once you're out of the way, I'll have no reason to hate him, so I can do whatever I'd like with him," Akito taunted. He hadn't actually been planning to do that, but as he thought about it, he didn't see a problem with it. "He seems like he'd be a lot of good for certain things… he's nice to look at, too, wouldn't you say?"

"No… don't touch him," pleaded Yuki, and the plea gained him another squeeze to his cut wrist. Akito grinned at his pained cry.

"I've always wanted to see what you were interested in. It's obviously not personality or brains… so it must be the sex."

"That's not true," Yuki snapped. That accusation caused a fire to crackle in his eyes. "Haru… is everything to me. You're going to kill me anyway, no matter what I say, so I may as well say what I want to say."

"Shut up…" ordered Akito, growing fear in his eyes. He hadn't planned that Yuki would go down with a fight. He wanted to slowly kill him and it looked like that was no longer an option. He dropped Yuki's wrist and pushed him down to the floor harshly before reaching out to wrap his hand around Yuki's neck.

"I'll kill you the same way I would've killed **him** a long time ago had I not gotten sick…"

_Haru…_ Yuki tried to distract himself from his assault by thinking. _How did you feel when you were in this position back then? Did you feel as much regret as I do right now? I owe you… everything. I wish I could tell you that I still love you. I love you, so much… and I'm sorry for what I've done. Go on living, please, and be happy._

But these were not his final thoughts and they were far from it. He felt Akito being pulled away from him and instinctively rolled over to cough and catch his breath. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder and looked over to it.

It was Hatori.

"Yuki, can you stand?"

"I… think so…"

He tried. And failed. And was caught by someone behind him.

"Hah… I knew you would fall for me," said the voice of the one who caught him like he had once a long time ago, in completely different circumstances involving a broken bottle. Haru. If Haru and Hatori were there, what about Akito? Yuki looked over to see Akito on the floor, glaring viciously at Hatori. Both he and Haru found it odd that Akito had nothing to say to the doctor. It was as if he was scared of him.

"You two, go. Yuki, if you can't walk, allow for Hatsuharu to carry you," commanded Hatori. Haru scooped Yuki up in his arms and walked past Hatori, who remained stationary with Akito, and out of the room.

Haru walked with Yuki in his arms for a bit in silence, letting Yuki adjust. He almost died, like he himself had long ago, and he was most likely going through some inner turmoil. Eventually, he had to stop and ask a very important question.

"… Where should we go?" asked Haru softly. Yuki was gazing up at him with soft eyes and Haru couldn't help but look down to him with a smile. Yuki remembered that Haru had asked him a question and answered at last.

"… My room, I guess. Just go down this hallway…"

Haru nodded once and continued down the hall. Yuki noticed that he was limping a little and asked him about it.

"I fell, actually," Haru replied. "I got my uniform dirty, too."

"How did you get here?"

"I asked a man for directions to the Souma House and he saw that I was hurt. Instead of giving me directions, he drove me to the front gate and let me use his cell phone and everything. I called Hatori."

"… And then what happened?"

"I asked him if he was going to let you die."

Yuki swallowed. "What did he say?"

"He said that my call was delaying the rescue."

Yuki's lips twitched at the edges into a soft smiled as his eyes slid shut. Haru spoke again. "We heard everything you said, by the way."

Yuki's eyes reopened with a start and he opened his mouth to say something but Haru gently let him down onto his bed. His eyes were on the cow plushie and on the moist note next to it. Yuki once again opened his mouth to say something, but this time, Haru caught his mouth in a kiss, the first kiss they shared since the cultural festival. Yuki's hands found their way to Haru's collar and pulled him closer, accidentally pulling him too far and causing him to topple over into Yuki's body. Neither seemed to mind and they just began the kiss anew, both being very careful with each other.

"… Yuki," said Haru after he pulled away from the kiss. "Those things you said… about not deserving to live… it's not true. You deserve the world, Yuki. Not me."

"No… Haru… you've done nothing but… be wonderful. And how do I repay you? By—"

"That was Akito's doing," Haru firmly stated. Yuki looked to him questioningly as he sat up as he continued, "Hatori told me once I arrived. He had anticipated that you would live that night when he slit your wrist. He's been planning a few of these events secretly."

"What?!" gasped Yuki, also sitting up. Haru picked up the plushie and plopped into Yuki's lap, causing the boy to stare at it as Haru went on, "He was hoping that you would live. The reason he taunted you so much was to get to into an unstable condition so that you would take his words seriously. Hatori and Shigure saw that something was up when Akito allowed you to stay with us without putting up much resistance. Hatori was worried about your condition and he warned Shigure about keeping you away from people, but Shigure didn't want to be the one who separated us."

"Hatori thought that we should be separated?" asked Yuki. He was cuddling with the cow, which brought a smile to Haru's face and caused him to reach his hand out and stroke Yuki's hair as he spoke.

"Yeah—he figured that in the state you had been in right after getting hurt like that, that you might not want to be around anyone, not even me. You needed time to recover… and you came home soon anyway."

"I thought that I wanted to be home. I thought that it was the best place for me," replied Yuki. "I thought that I… wanted to be with you."

"Yeah, I know… but Akito was hoping… and planning for this to happen. A few things that we did were exactly what Akito wanted us to do."

"But if Shigure hadn't told you to not—"

"Shigure was a pawn, actually," Haru corrected him before Yuki could get the wrong idea. "Shigure was worried about Akito's behavior and thought that it would be better if I didn't do anything that might get Akito too angry. Akito had also suspected and planned this."

"So he really mapped everything out… he assumed that you and I were going to have some sort of… whatever it was… and then I would come here. He told me the things he did on Saturday night so that I would get them in my head and think that they were true in my unstable condition…"

"Yeah. All he needed was for the pieces of the puzzle to fall together," Haru confirmed with a bitter tone. "However, he didn't anticipate that you would break yourself out of the spell that he placed upon you. He thought that you would come to him as a pile of mush wanting only to be with him."

"… There was a point… today and last night… where I saw Akito as my… savior. I had everything backwards…"

Haru pressed a kiss to his forehead, something that Yuki had missed a lot. He reached out and pulled Haru to him tightly.

"I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry for pushing you away…" he softly said against Haru's ear. Haru shook his head.

"I'm sorry for not holding you and kissing you and everything… I wanted so badly to just… grab you and never let go…"

"It's okay. I know the reason now," Yuki reassured him. He closed his eyes and added, "And I'm sorry for not trusting you enough to realize that there was probably a reason for that. I love you… and I really don't deserve you."

"Stop saying that," Haru ordered rather abruptly. "Stop it. This isn't about what we deserve and don't deserve… that's not what controls life, is it? We have to focus on being together, don't we? I love you, and you love me. It doesn't matter if you deserve me or if I deserve you or whatever. The only thing that matters…"

"… Is the love we share?" Yuki guessed. Haru's face was crimson.

"… S… sorry if that was really corny."

"It doesn't matter. It's the truth. You're all I need."

Haru smiled and kissed Yuki's forehead again. "Same to you."

"… Thank you for taking me back," Yuki said after a tiny bit of silence. "After all of what I put you through… and Honda-san… I hurt her, too."

Haru could find nothing to say. But he didn't need to, for there was a voice nearby that said, "That's… okay, Souma-kun."

Yuki looked over—and Haru sheepishly moved away from him—to see Tohru and Kyo standing at the doorway. He happily said their names and gave them a smile.

"I'm coming home. For real this time."

Tohru couldn't help but smile back, despite the tears in her eyes. "Welcome… home."

/-/

Shigure stood in the doorway of the room as Hatori pulled his stethoscope away from Akito's pale body. He passed his hand over the kimono of the man in order to do it back up properly and then turned to Shigure.

"Let's go." Akito turned away as he heard Hatori get up. He had been silent since earlier that evening and sneering at everything like a two-year-old who didn't get his or her way. Hatori ignored him and went with Shigure out the door, closing it behind him.

"So, everything turned out well," Shigure sighed. "But what should we do with Yuki?"

"Akito has requested that he stay with him until he dies," answered Hatori. "And… although I hate it, technically, that was the original agreement."

"Who cares? Akito can't threaten us with making Tohru-kun the mother anymore," said Shigure.

"Yes… that's true. It'd probably be nice for him if Yuki saw him at least once this week, though," Hatori stated. Shigure rolled his eyes.

"Sure thing—after all, he's tried to kill us, so we should be extra nice to him. If we're lucky and nice enough to him, maybe he'll see the light and change his ways! Because it's that simple, of course."

Hatori gave him a sideways glance. "Your sarcasm isn't helping. I think that this isn't finished just yet—Yuki still needs some things worked out. I'm sure that there are a few things he'd like to tell Akito."

"Besides 'eat shit and die,' you mean?"

"… Yes. Besides that."

"Hm. Well, Haa-san, I suppose I should take these ruffians home," he said, referring to the loud noise named Kyo down the hall. "… Would you like to accompany me?"

"Not with Akito this sick."

"Haa-san, must I remind you that you have a life besides being the family doctor?"

"I'll move in with you once Akito's dead," mumbled Hatori in perfect monotone. Shigure squealed and threw his arms around the man. Hatori sighed. "On second thought, maybe not."

"Haa-san, I should move in with **you**," Shigure completely ignored the last statement of Hatori's. "I have so many teenagers in my house… we'd never get any privacy!"

"You are **not** moving in with me."

"Then maybe we can wait until they move out? We'll have the house all to ourselves…"

Hatori hesitated, something he didn't do often. "… I'll think about it."

"Really? Yay! I'll call Aaya, too, and see if he wants to move in—"

"I take it back. I never want to live with you. Ever," snapped Hatori as he escaped from Shigure's grasp. Shigure looked horrified and put his hand in front of his mouth.

"Even after all of that time we spent together on Friday?? Even after those breathtakingly good kisses—"

"Stop right now or I'll break your legs," snapped Hatori. Shigure finally got the hint and tip toed past him in order to meet up with a group of four very relieved teenagers.

/-/

Two nights following the incident, Yuki found himself sitting in a chair next to a bedridden Akito who was too angry and sick to even look at him. Yuki was silently doing his homework with his notebook on his lap. After a while, he sighed, put down his pencil, and stretched his arms.

"You can leave, you know," Akito snapped. Yuki looked at him incredulously.

"Why would I leave?"

"Go away and be with your toy," the head of the house muttered, turning on his side. His thin legs were poking out of the covers and goose bumps had risen over them in the cold air.

"Haru's at a photo shoot," Yuki stated. "And plus, I figured that you'd want me here."

"There's no reason for you to be here," Akito pressed on. He sat up in order to glare at Yuki's face in full, something that no longer faced the boy. With a shake of his head, he said, "There's no reason for me not to be here. I chose to spend tonight with you as I work on my homework."

"You're mocking me, aren't you?" asked Akito before a sudden fit of coughs. He held the hand that he had coughed into up in order to inspect his hand for blood. Afterward, he looked to Yuki, awaiting his answer.

"Mocking you?" Yuki repeated. "How am I mocking you? Is it because I can move freely and I'm still able to make choices about what I want to do with my evenings?"

_… Holy shit. Did I just say that?!_ Yuki's breathing stopped as he feared what Akito would do in retaliation. However…

"Shut up," was all that Akito said… and did, for that matter. _He's… not trying to kill me?_ Yuki's breathing resumed its original flow and he decided to try pushing his luck.

"You shouldn't be sitting up, Akito. It's bad for your health."

"I told you to shut up," the head of the house restated. Yuki sighed and started to gather up his things with a half smile on his face. _I… can do this. He can't do a damn thing to me._

"It's getting pretty late and I have school in the morning. Haru will be here with his manager any moment now to pick me up," he informed Akito. It was the last thing he would ever report to him. "… It is a bit ironic that although you tried to kill Haru and me, **you're** the only one who's going to die any time soon."

Akito opened his mouth to snap at him again but Yuki quickly continued, "And to think that if you hadn't tried to murder Haru, you wouldn't be so sick right now. I find a lot of enjoyment in knowing that."

"Shut up…" Akito growled, but Yuki continued to verbally cut him down as he packed away his school things casually.

"When Honda-san confronted you that day, she told you that even if you feel angry, hurt, or upset, you're still alive, and that's all that matters. I was in a lot of pain thanks to you and I lost sight of the fact that I was alive. You worked hard to make sure I felt that way, didn't you? You didn't want anyone—no, you didn't want **me** to live on happily without you. You didn't want me to outlive you."

Akito's eyes were narrow slits as he gazed at Yuki in hopes of scaring him. But Yuki would no longer be fazed by that glance, that glare.

"Akito," his own stare was harsh and cold, defying Akito's very being. "I will live, a long, long time with happiness… with Haru. There's nothing you can do to ruin my life anymore. You are going to die. Kagura will have the child that will govern us all, and that child will be brought up with love and care and will be nurtured… so he doesn't turn out like **you**."

"Get out…" ordered Akito darkly.

"You don't scare me anymore. You're nothing now," Yuki said, standing up. "Absolutely nothing."

"Out! Get out!!" screamed Akito angrily with his eyes wide. He looked ready to jump out of his bed, so Yuki decided to let it finish there.

"Goodbye, Akito, and you should feel honored that I'm still wasting my breath on you."

Akito probably would have gotten up and attacked him, but not only was he too sick, but he was also suddenly staring up at Yuki with… fear in his eyes. Yuki had won—Yuki had escaped from Akito at last and both of them knew that Yuki was much stronger than Akito, especially in his condition. He backed down for the first time in his life and broke eye contact.

Nothing more was said, so Yuki decided to leave the room. As he closed the door behind him, he stayed very still and shut his eyes, breathing silently for a moment. _So this is what it's like… to be free._

"I'm glad I'm not on your bad side," came a voice that Yuki recognized very well. He smiled upon hearing it and tilted his cheek toward the kiss that he was suddenly granted. He opened his eyes and stared into gray orbs that reflected his own face.

"You **couldn't** be on my bad side."

"Good to know," Haru grinned. He pulled Yuki into his arms for a tight embrace. Yuki sighed happily and wrapped his arms tightly around him.

"I love you so much," he told him after lightly kissing his neck. Haru beamed and tightened the hug.

"I bet I love you more."

"Nah-uh," Yuki teased as they broke away from each other. They took hold of each others' hands and walked through the hall and eventually out into the cold December night, the brisk night air biting softly at their reddened cheeks. Once they met up with Kohiko at her car, they climbed inside quickly to escape the cold and sat side-by-side in the backseat with their fingers still weaved together. Yuki slid his eyes shut and rested his head on Haru's shoulder, prompting Haru to turn slightly in order to reach his free hand out to stroke his face lightly.

Kohiko smiled at the couple, silently betting her entire career that they would be together forever as she turned her head in order to give them some privacy.

Much later that night, Akito died in his sleep.

/-/

Shigure got the call from Hatori during the early morning and had the quartet of teenagers sit around the breakfast table quietly. They knew that something was up with how serious the novelist was being and waited eagerly for him to tell them what was up.

"Haa-san just called me," he said softly. Tohru's eyes quivered slightly, imagining what Hatori's call meant. Her assumptions were correct as Shigure slowly said, "Akito… has passed away. He died in his sleep at, as Hatori estimated it, around two in the morning."

Haru looked to Yuki with expressionless eyes, wondering about how the gray haired boy was feeling. Yuki's eyes were downcast, feeling not regret or despair… but not joy or happiness either. Kyo crossed his arms over his chest.

"'Bout fucking time."

"Ky… Kyo!" Tohru gasped. She, too, wasn't sure how to feel at the moment, and instead, after reaching her hand out to rest on Kyo's thigh, she stayed silent. His face was anything but sheepish as he looked back at her, but he said no more.

"The wake is being held tomorrow a little after noon…" Shigure told them with his hand at his chin. "Right afterwards is the funeral."

"Should I stay home?" asked Tohru innocently. Kyo looked to her with a somewhat surprised look on his face.

"Why the hell would you want to come?"

"Because it's… I just…" Tohru trailed off, unsure of what to say. Shigure nodded.

"I don't see a reason why you shouldn't be able to go…"

Kyo grimaced, but said nothing more on the matter. If it was what Tohru wanted to do, then he wasn't going to stop her. He half hoped that she would spit into the casket, but he knew that she never would, and he didn't dare do it. He was a little worried that Akito would be more dangerous dead rather than alive.

But as he stood among hundreds of Soumas on the cold day of the funeral, he decided that _nothing_ about Akito was dangerous anymore. Akito was dead, Kagura would give birth to the next core, and that would be the end of that.

Tohru couldn't help but feel somewhat awkward around the other Soumas even after the funeral was over. Before Tohru and her housemates could reach the car, Hatori beckoned them all over to a secluded area of the parking lot. In a group stood all of the members of the zodiac, including the two that Tohru hadn't met yet. One was a tall man with light brunette hair and a soft—and maybe hurt—smile on his face and the other was a girl a little taller than herself with long, straight black hair.

Haru saw her, too, and allowed a grimace to take over his face temporarily, as he was quickly reminded that Yuki was next to him, holding his hand tightly as if for dear life. In actuality, Yuki felt a little dizzy throughout the entire duration of the funeral. It was a little nerve-wracking to witness the man who had controlled most of his life be placed six feet under his feet.

There was another person that Tohru didn't recognize standing next to Kagura but she wasn't able to ask her about it right away, for Hatori spoke.

"Well…" he started with a half sigh. "With Akito dead and no core right now, we should decide for a temporary head of the house… Kagura, should you and Takeshi take this job under your wing?"

Kagura, who was looking a little round in the stomach, looked over to one of the two Soumas that Tohru didn't recognize.

"Shouldn't Kureno-san take care of that?" she asked. Tohru looked to him. _Kureno… -san?_

"Ah, it doesn't matter to me," said the man softly. "You are going to be the parents of the next core, after all."

Tohru allowed herself to space out during the conversation and stare at Kagura. _Kagura-san is already pregnant? I can't believe it… was she pregnant on that day we talked? She looks like she's about… maybe two or three months into the pregnancy, so she must've been. … To think… that_ I_ could have been the one pregnant right now…_

The thought brought a deep blush to her face and she had to think of something else. However, she wasn't given a chance to, as she noticed that the conversation had ended and people were separating. A few of the zodiac (Momiji, Kisa, and Hiro) surrounded her, while Kyo went to talk to Kagura and Takeshi and Hatori, Kureno, and Shigure were talking quietly amongst themselves. Haru was helping Yuki defend himself from Ayame when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see the girl with long hair behind him.

"Rin."

Rin gazed up at him with big black eyes. "How are you, Haru?"

"Happy. Very happy."

"I… you're a model now," she said with a look of disbelief on her face. Haru's stone face faltered a bit.

"… Yeah…"

"I almost screamed. I did **not** expect to see your face in the magazine I was reading."

"It's a bit startling…" he admitted. "I get scared walking through the halls of school sometimes…"

"Ah, Rin," spoke Yuki after finally escaping from Ayame. She nodded to him and then looked back to Haru with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Right. Well, bye."

"See you…" mumbled Haru as she walked off. Yuki looked to him and asked, "What was **that** all about?"

"I have no idea."

"She doesn't want you back, right?" asked Yuki softly as he wrapped his arms around Haru's arm. Haru smiled and shook his head.

"I seriously doubt it… I wouldn't go back to her anyway."

"You'd better not," said Yuki, looking at him with a slight pout. "Not after all we've been through."

"Nope. Nooo way. I've already got my life planned out, and if I lost you, it'd fall apart. I kinda need you around if I plan to be with you forever."

Yuki beamed. "Good then."

Haru pressed a kiss to his forehead and asked, "You… do want to stay with me forever, right?"

Yuki returned the gesture with a soft kiss to Haru's forehead and said with a smile, "I do."

"Oh good. That'd damper my plans a bit, too, if you didn't want to."

"My, my, young brother!" interrupted Ayame with a flamboyant gesture. "Getting married, are you?"

"W… what?"

"I heard you say, 'I do.'"

"A—ahh... tha… that was…" Yuki's face was absolutely crimson. _Everyone_ had decided to look over at that point and Yuki was feeling, no pun intended, like a rat in a trap.

"I have a feeling I know who's gonna be wearin' the dress," Kyo broke the silence with a sly grin on his face. Yuki glared at the orange headed boy.

"And you can be my bridesmaid."

* * *

So! How was the final chapter of Never Gray, my friends?? XD I decided to let Rin and Kureno make a cameo. They should feel SPECIAL.

I have some people I'd like to thank before going into the epilogue. YES THERE'S A EPILOGUE. EVEN LONGER, WHAT NOW BITCHES?! … I mean… yes.

I'm doing this as they flow to my head. If you get thanked last, it's NOT because I dislike you!! ::lovelovelove!!::

**Aislin Cade**: BRIIIIII!!! My wonderful Yuki and editor of the last chapter! … Okay and also some others. I thank you so, so, SO much for supporting me throughout this grueling process of writing and editing and BLAHBLAH friggin' BLAH. Thank you for allowing me to put in pieces of our Haru and Yuki conversations along with our frightening Akito and Yuki conversations. I TOLD you that what we were doing was incredibly close—if not exactly how this was going to end. Keep working on your fic, too, mah darlin'! N BAKWCPACE BUTTON! YEAH1!!

**Ember5000**: Sarah for being a loverly girlfriend. ::pounce:: You've inspired more Kyo-things than you know, my adorable little kitty cat, and I thank you for putting up with me. I love you, mah luv! AND YEAH NO BAKCPANE… BACKAPSE… BACKSPARE! AH FUCK! HAhaha!

**Gysecune**: SIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRA. You sexy fiend. You sexy sex fiend. Yes. XD Thank you, also, for putting up with me so much and for reading this and being THE GREATEST RITSU EVER. You inspired soooooo much of that baseball chapter. Muuuwah! … That's a kissy noise. BACKAPSACE SUCKS.

**Trena**: HEY! What UP! You've been with me since… a long time! Thanks for continuing to read and not getting lost in the masses. You still need to draw Haru and Yuki in their sexy Cultural Festival outfits! ::prod:: Hahha! You have my AIM now, so feel free to stalk me. A little. OKAY A LOT.

**Jessiegurl43953**: OMG HIGH FIVE. Your first review is still probably one of my favorites to this day—I even posted it in my livejournal once!! Thanks to **you** too, for continuing to read. We must come together to drool over Haru's ultimate sexiness.

**J-chan/Brauchen**: YES! Hell yes. It was fun talking to you as you read this. I'm SO EVIL, aren't I, for making you read all of this crap! Hahahaha!! Thanks for reading, girl. See you on the LJ!

**Peter James**: I'm not sure if you're reading this anymore, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL BELL CHIME IDEA. It helped SO much. Thank you thank you!! Oh, and in case you were wondering—or any of you were—Haru still has the bell chime and "Yuki-chan" and Yuki still has "Haa-chan." ::giggles::

**The FruitsBasketFun Cast**: EEEE!! I did it, guys!! As some of you may have seen, the interaction between Haru and Yuki and then with Akito and Yuki was similar to that of something that happened in the comm. As I told Bri, it was amazing that the comm had a scene that was almost an exact replica of where I was taking this fic. I couldn't believe it. And the great thing is, I only needed Bri's permission to use Yuki's dialogue because I'm both Akito **and** Haru, so I was half the conversation both times! XD I love you all so much.

**The Kyo/Tohru fans**: I'M SORRY!! I just couldn't fit anymore things into the fic!! You went all this time in hopes that I would let Kyo have his sexy fun, and I DIDN'T!!! WELL, I've prepared a little special something for you!! Here!!

_And then Kyo and Tohru had slow, passionate sex. The end._

How's that? ::gets tomatoed::

Well, the good thing is, I'm thinking of writing another fic that centers around Kyo and Tohru and it has a cute premise. I hope it hasn't been done and I hope I'm not too lazy to do it. I'm kind of worn out. Sorry again for the lack of Kyo/Tohru smut. Really, I am.

**Everyone else**: THANK YOU FOR COMING ALONG ON THIS CRAZY JOURNEY OF COLORS AND ANGST AND RAZORS AND CORES. NOT APPLE CORES. BUT SOUMA CORES. I love you all!!!!

And last but not least… the epilogue.

* * *

Epilogue

Haru placed the phone back onto the receiver and rushed downstairs to see Yuki sitting at the table, writing diligently in a small notebook at the American style clear glass top table they had in the middle of their dining room. The young man put his hand to Yuki's back so as to not startle him and looked at him intently.

"Yuki! What are you doing just writing?" he asked. Yuki blinked, took off his reading glasses, and looked up to his lover.

"I'm not just writing. I'm doing my Western Civilization homework. The professor is really strict about essays—"

"Baaah it doesn't matter!" Haru interrupted him impatiently. "Listen to me! That was Hatori on the phone. Kyo and Tohru are having their baby!!"

Yuki's jaw dropped in surprise before turning into a wide smile. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes! And Tohru wants us to be there with her! We gotta go!"

"How—"

"I'll call Kohiko!" Haru cheered excitedly as he rushed off again to use the phone. Yuki was beaming—Kyo and Tohru were finally having their baby! It was a very exciting thought… after waiting so long, Yuki could hardly contain himself. The pregnancy was the normal length of nine months, which meant that they weren't going to have a zodiac baby, at least. After thinking about it more, Yuki had determined that Tohru wouldn't have minded having a cursed child and she would have dealt with it just fine.

"She's on her way," Haru told Yuki as he came downstairs again, much more calmly than before. "It's a nice day out, for once, so do you want to wait outside?"

Yuki smiled and nodded, grabbing his gray jacket just in case the May winds decided to turn cold. After Haru put on his long white coat and the two shoved their feet into their shoes, they exited the apartment.

It had been a little more than three years since Akito's death and the two separate couples, after finishing high school, branched out and lived very different lives. Yuki was in his second year of college while Haru was busy with both his first year of college and his modeling career, as he was still a pretty big model out there.

Neither Kyo nor Tohru attended any sort of college but rather had decent jobs. Kyo ran a martial arts studio which was funded by the Souma family and co-run by Kazuma, Kyo's master. Tohru had a very different line of work, but her career also had to do with children. She was an aid at a small preschool—also co-run by the Souma household—in the city, training to become a teacher herself. She had taken her maternity leave and since then has gotten constant letters from the children, asking her how she was doing. Each time she read a letter, it brought a smile to her face.

To this day, Kyo was grateful to Yuki for protecting that smile.

"They said it was going to be a girl, right?" asked Yuki as he and Haru were escorted by Kohiko to the hospital where Tohru was in labor. It would take them an hour to get there, which almost drove Yuki crazy. He wanted to be there _immediately_, but the two couples lived so apart now. Haru nodded to Yuki's question.

"Yeah… they couldn't come up with a name though. I hope they thought of something."

Yuki smiled. "I wonder if she will be friendly with Kagura's baby?"

"Most likely. Age difference never really mattered to Kagura-san, did it?" Haru replied with a soft smile. Yuki chuckled.

Kagura had given birth to a beautiful baby boy with Takeshi and the two couldn't be happier, even though the child was the core of the curse. Tohru and Kyo had visited the two often to see that the child, named Takaya, was doing well, along with his parents. Takaya seemed to be all right with his fate as the core, as he was merely two years old and didn't know any better, but Kagura promised both herself and her child that she would stay by him so that he would not end up like Akito.

While Yuki and Haru didn't exactly have any children, the love they shared for each other matched that of the other two couples perfectly. Even with Yuki almost always doing schoolwork and Haru's stressful career, the two found time to relax with each other and were inseparable. They lived in a very nice apartment, furnished and mostly paid for by the Shinibana Cooperation, in which they had spent their days since moving out of Shigure's house.

"Uh, hello, we're here to visit Souma Tohru," Yuki informed the lady at the front desk. "She's currently in labor and is expecting us."

The lady peered at them, widened her eyes, and gaped at Haru. "Souma Hatsuharu?!"

Haru blushed. Although he wasn't new to the modeling business, he still found it awkward that people knew his name with just a look at his face. She told them which room Tohru was in and they ran off that way. Kohiko, to be polite, stayed in the waiting room to read some magazines and catch up on gossip, something that intrigued her more than Haru, perhaps.

Upon arrival, they met up with Saki, Saki's brother Megumi, and Arisa standing outside of the door. Saki looked to them with expressionless eyes.

"Greetings."

"Hanajima-san. Oh, Uotani-san, too," Yuki looked to the both of them with puzzled eyes. _I didn't expect to see them here, for some reason…_ He looked down to Megumi. "Oh… who's this?"

"This is my little brother, Megumi," Saki told him softly. Arisa grinned to Yuki and asked, "How's it goin', prince?"

Yuki smiled, remembering his high school days fondly for the first time in a while. "It's all right."

"Where are you two living now?"

"In an apartment in Kyoto," Haru answered.

"It must have taken you a while to get here… is it big?" Saki inquired. Yuki nodded to her question and then asked one of his own. "Why are you all standing outside?"

"The birth is complete. She would like a few minutes for just her and Kyo," Saki answered. Yuki smiled. _I thought that she might…_

Saki spent her days recently performing psychic wave readings for money and had quite a handful of customers to keep her busy. Megumi mentioned that every once and a while, Saki would come home with frazzled hair from all of her readings, but she enjoyed it anyway. Megumi himself was in his last year of high school. As for Arisa, she still had her job at the restaurant where she always used to work, only now she works full time. She finds it very pleasant and enjoys her relaxing adult life.

It was Kyo who opened the door, peering outside. He grinned to Yuki.

"Damn rat."

"Stupid cat."

Although their reasoning for calling each other by animal names blew straight over Saki, Arisa, and Megumi's heads, no one bothered to say anything else on the matter. Kyo gestured for them to come in.

"She says she wants to see everyone now."

Yuki's eyes almost watered when he saw Tohru sitting upright on the hospital bed, cradling a baby in her arms. The baby was asleep and it seemed as though Tohru was slowly getting there. He crouched down near the bed, smiling.

"Are you sure you just don't want to sleep?"

She looked over to him, smiling radiantly. "I wouldn't want to be rude… after all, you and Haru-kun came all the way over from Kyoto. Plus, I wanted you to meet Natsuki…"

"Natsuki?" asked Haru. "That's a nice name."

"She's beautiful," Yuki commented, catching a glance at the babe's ethereal face. "Even though she looks a bit like Kyo as well."

Kyo chuckled. "What can I say?"

Saki bent over to look upon Tohru's face. "Tohru-chan… remember—if you need anything… Uotani-san and I will just be a phone call away."

"That's right," said Arisa. "Don't hesitate to contact us. We can baby-sit if you'd like."

Tohru smiled tiredly. "That would be great…"

"Tohru!" cried a voice. A blonde young man entered the room, creeping past the others. He stared wide eyed at the baby. "Aww! She's beautiful, Tohru!"

It was Momiji. Haru's vision of him when he was older was, oddly enough, very accurate. He was tall, skinny, and his face had chiseled out nicely, much different from his previously cherubic face. His eyes were piercing but very caring as he looked over Natsuki. Hatori stood at the door with Shigure at his side.

"I couldn't keep him back, I apologize, Tohru," Hatori said. Tohru's smile only broadened. Hatori smiled back. "Kagura and Takeshi would have been here, but Takaya came down with chicken pox. I just wanted to stop by to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine," Tohru replied quietly, as Natsuki had stirred slightly. They all quieted down and watched intently, but Natsuki continued to slumber on. They all exhaled a breath of relief. Momiji smiled down to Tohru.

"She's very pretty! I'll help with baby-sitting if you need it! Oh, and I'm very good at changing babies, too! So I could definitely help with that!"

"Thank you, Momiji-kun," Tohru replied gratefully. Momiji bowed. "Ha'ri and I could only stay for a bit… but Shii-chan can stay longer if you want him to!"

Tohru looked over to Shigure and found the man busy with bothering Hatori. Hatori averted his attention to the new mother so that Shigure would notice that she was addressing him. He gave a goofy smile.

"Tohru-kun, I'm very glad to see that you're all right. Remember that you can give any of us a call if you need anything."

"Right, I'll remember."

"Momiji," Hatori called softly. The younger boy nodded and gave a polite kiss to Tohru's forehead before saying his goodbye. He waved to the others in the room and headed out, following Shigure and Hatori closely. Saki sighed.

"I have a feeling that we should get going as well… I have an appointment soon, unfortunately."

Arisa put her hand to Tohru's head. "You take care of yourself, too. Not just the kid, eh? And don't let Kyo have any fun. Make sure he's up at three o'clock in the morning taking care of Natsuki-chan as well!"

"Who said I wasn't going to, yankee?" Kyo grinned to her. The three of them said their final goodbyes to Tohru and then exited the room, leaving only the new mother, her baby, Kyo, Yuki, and Haru.

"Oh… do you want us to leave as well?" asked Yuki softly. Tohru shook her head.

"Yuki-kun, it's been a while since we've all been together. My only concern is the fact that you have to stand there. Do you want me to see if I can get any chairs for you? There's only one in here…"

"No, no, there's no need," Haru assured her. "That applies to us as well, you know. If you want anything done or you need anything… or you break your arm and need me to live with you for two months…"

Tohru laughed. "Right. You'll be the first person I call."

They stayed for a while, talking with Tohru and Kyo and tried to be careful to not wake Natsuki. However, Yuki noticed that Tohru was straining to keep awake. He looked to Kyo.

"I think that we should take our leave here," he said. Kyo nodded, contrasting Tohru's protest. He looked to her. "C'mon, doofus, we know you're tired and you need as much rest as Natsuki."

Tohru blushed. "W-well, I suppose so…"

"Goodbye Tohru, Natsuki-chan," said Haru softly, smiling to the sleeping babe and her mother. He looked to Kyo. "See ya around, kitten."

"Yeah right, cow."

He walked toward the door as Yuki said his goodbye to Tohru as well. "Tohru-san, I know you'll do well as a mother."

She gave him another smile before he turned, giving a light punch to Kyo's shoulder. "And if you had half a brain, you'd make a great father, too."

"I have half a brain! … Wait, I have a whole brain! … Shut up!"

They laughed quietly and then the two young men took their leaves, shutting the door behind them. Kyo took the only chair in the room and slid it close to the bed, sitting and watching his wife over. She softly said, "Good night…" as her eyes slide shut and he kissed her on the forehead. He continued to contently watch his newborn daughter and lovely wife until he, too, fell asleep in the chair. When the nurse came in, she smiled and carefully placed a blanket over Kyo's body and let the couple and their infant be.

Soon, the sun started to set behind the hills and lightly stroke Kyo's sleeping face with its rays. He did not stir and neither did Tohru nor Natsuki when the rays touched their sleeping bodies as well. The same rays also lit the porch that Kagura was sitting on as she dangled her legs over the edge of the wooden planks and cradled her half asleep toddler in her arms. Takeshi sat next to her with a smile upon his face as he stroked her hair lovingly, admiring the way the sun's beams lit up her face.

Momiji was nodding off in the back seat of Hatori's car as the sun's rays spread over his legs, warming him up as well. Shigure was talking with Hatori about many things as the sun warmed their faces pleasantly on their way home to the house Yuki, Kyo, Tohru, and Haru once shared with Shigure. The very same beams of the sun were feeding the flower that Hiro had placed in Kisa's hair right before giving her a soft kiss, another thing warmed by the sun.

The sun was also lightly stroking both Yuki's and Haru's faces as they exited Kohiko's car to enter their apartment. Before either of them stepped inside, however, they decided to watch the sun disappear into the horizon. Hand-in-hand, they watched the same sun that had watched them all of these years and forever reminded them that no matter what, another day was sure to follow.

And so, the sun had finally set on this tale, and thus ended it at long last.

Never Gray

* * *

Yes, the babies' names are a play on the creator of the series, Natsuki Takaya. Kudos to the people who caught on to that!!

And now, I bid thee… SAYONARA!! ::bows and runs away:: 


End file.
